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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE JOY OF SALVATION. 



.V^ 



By Rev. T. Johnston Lamont. 



Restore unto me the Joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with 
3. willing spirit; then will I teach transg^ressors Thy ways, and 
sinners shall be converted unto Thee. Ps. 51:12, 13. 




noH 



ROCKFORD, ILL. 

MONITOR PUBLISHING COMPANY. 

1892. 



The Library 
OF Congress 




.a 
1^ 



(J^onfenfs. 



I. What is the Joy of Salvation ? 

II. How THIS Joy may be Lost. 

III. How THE LC»SS OF THIS JOY AfFECTS THE LiFE. 

IV. How THIS Joy may be Restored. 

V. How THIS Joy is Sustained. 

VI. For What Purpose this Joy is Given. 



These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might be 
fulfilled in you, and that your joy might be full. Jn. 15:11. 

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of 
salvation. Isa. 12:5, 

Whom, having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye 
see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable 
and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the 
salvation of your souls. 1 Pet. 1:3. 

And Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my 
heart, for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of Hosts. 
Jer. 15:16. 

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh. 8:10. 

Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. Jn. 
16:24. 



aAufl^or's Preface. 






fgT^ HIS little treatise, written at leisure moments by the 

Ir^ author, is sent forth on an errand of love to God's dear 
people of every name and denomination. This is done 
^ with the fervent hope and prayer that it will prove 
helpful to all : that those who are not consciously possessed of 
the joy of salvation may be led into its possession ; that those 
who may have lost the blessing, through the manifold trials 
and temptations of life, may be assisted in recovering the bless- 
ing ; and that we may learn the secret of its sustenance in the 
soul. 

The author does not claim to have given an exhaustive treat- 
ment of the subject. The book only touches (in most instances 
very briefly) some of the most salient points of christian expe- 
rience. No attempt has been made in the way of elaborate 
illustration. We have dealt almost exclusively with principles 
and facts. 

In the formation of his views the author has been guided 
strictly by the Word of God as the basis of all right religious 
belief. In every instance, however, he has written from the 
standpoint of personal experience. This is true even as to the 
loss and subsequent restoration of the blessing referred to. He 
feels satisfied that what he has herein written will be confirmed 
by the experience of many of the children of God. 

The author feels most deeply that the experience herein 
described ought to be more common among the followers of 



b PREFACE. 

Christ as to the possession of this joy. Our lives are not what 
they should be, in the matter of power with God and with men, 
and in the matter of personal happiness and comfort, without 
this blessing. It is to be feared that the majority of church 
members are entire strangers to it. It is what we need to make 
our lives a song of praise, and a pean of victory. 

There are few points that might be regarded as abstruse in 
their character. The aim has been to maintain simplicity of 
thought and expression throughout. No special theory has 
been advocated. The Lord leads in a thousand different ways. 
No two follow exactly the same path in climbing the mountain 
of joy. The main inquiry is. Are we in possession of this joy 
of salvation? And, if not. Are we willing to seek it with all 
our heart ? The Lord, by his Spirit, will meet each one more 
than half way in bestowing the blessing. 

Kespectfully, T. J. L. 



CHAPTER I. 



(/9F?af is tf?e Qo^ of galOation? 



i^T^'HE only satisfactory answer to this question is 
y jr;'^- to be found in the scriptures. Our individ- 
^^ ual opinions are worth nothing except as 
based on the teachings of the Word of God.» The 
Bible is our best authority on such an important 
subject. Let us carefully examine some of its 
statements. 

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 

In Eph. 1:7, we read, ''In whom we have re- 
demption, the forgiveness of sins, according to the 
riches of his grace. ' ' The same thought is brought 
out in Col. 1:14, ''In whom we have redemption 
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. '' 
It is possible, therefore, to receive forgiveness of 
sin. The christian is one whose sins have been 
washed away. He is not saved in his sins, but 
/rom them. This blessing comes to us through 



8 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

Christ's blood. It rests upon the atonement. Of 
Mary's child it was said by the Holy Spirit before 
his birth, '*And she shall bring forth a son, and 
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his 
people /rom their sins. This was his great mission 
in coming to our world. This forgiveness must be 
received by faith. There is no other way in which 
it can be received. '^Therefore being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1,) 

The Psalmist says, ^^ Blessed is he whose sin is 
covered." (Ps. 32:1.) That is, taken out of sight, 
covered in God's way, not in ours. ^^He that 
covereth his sin shall not prosper." (Prov. 28:13.) 
When God says to us, ^*I will be merciful to their 
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities 
will I remember no more," (Jer. 31:34.) it is our 
privilege to take this comforting assurance to our 
hearts and rest upon it. Isaiah was able to say, 
''For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back." 
(Isa. 38:17.) If we are the disciples of Christ we 
may say the same of ourselves without the least 
presumption. Of our sins it is said, "As far as 
the east is from the west, so far hath he removed 
our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103:12.) Surely 
if Christ "bore our sins in his own body on the 
accursed tree," we have no right to them, and it is 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 9 

wrong for us to be troubled about them. Only let 
us make sure that w^e have acknowledged them in 
the spirit of true repentance, and we need have no 
fear. '^If we confess our sins, God is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness." (i Jn. 1:9.) 

Under the ceremonial law this blessed fact w^as 
signified by confessing the sins of the people over 
the head of the scapegoat, which was then sent into 
the wilderness, never to return. Their iniquities 
were carried away. Who could find them? Who 
wanted to find them? No Israelite was ever known 
to search for the scapegoat that he might recover 
possession of his sins. Yet many christians resur- 
rect them and cling to them as if they were costly 
treasures. 

No. man can be happy who is carrying about a 
great load of guilt. It is too much for any mortal 
to bear. The sinner cries out for relief. With 
Paul, he says, ^^O, wretched man that I am, who 
shall deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom. 
7:24.) And he cannot be joyful until he is able 
also to say with the Apostle, ''I thank God through 
Jesus Christ my Lord." (Rom. 7:25.) Then it is 
that he begins to realize that '^ there is therefore 
now no condemnation to them that are in Christ 
Jesus." (Rom. 8:1.) 



10 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

This forgiveness is actual and present, and not 
merely prospective. To have even the assurance 
that at some time in the future our sins wall all be 
forgiven would be sufficient reason for joy, but God 
affords us better comfort than this. His salvation 
is a present salvation. We do not need to wait till 
we get to heaven to have the joy of the Lord ful- 
filled in us. We have blessed foretastes of that 
fullness of joy even here in this world. When once 
we realize this blessed fact we can hardly help but 
be happy. And we are worth nothing in the serv- 
ice of Christ until we come to the possession of 
this blessing. Many christians are living without 
this comfort because they have not the faith to 
accept the divine assurance. Is it not wrong thus 
to live? 

THE GOSPEL IS GLAD TIDINGS. 

What is the meaning of the sacred message which 
God has commissioned us to publish? It is ^'glad 
tidings of great joy." The gospel finds its main 
significance in the fact that it offers the free pardon 
of all sin to them that believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The sinner is bound hand and foot by the 
arch enemy. The Savior comes to his rescue. He 
strikes off his shackles. He delivers him out of 



WHAT THLS JOY IS. 11 

bondage. He opens the prison door and sets liini 
at liberty. He heals his wounds and bruises. He 
speaks words of comfort to his heart. He lifts him 
to his feet and renews a right spirit within him. 
It is the object of the gospel to make known this 
blessed tidings, that such things are possible, that 
Christ is ^'able to save unto the uttermost all that 
come unto God by him,'' that God ^4iath laid help 
upon one that is mighty to save/' that he came 
^^to seek and to save the lost," that through him 
we may receive everlasting life. 

There is no book more full of joyful thoughts 
and assurances than the Bible. From beginning 
to end it is the announcement of glad tidings. Its 
promises are given for this purpose. Its precepts 
are designed for this end. Its historical facts are 
related for the encouragement of believers. Yet 
many christians are far from possessing the joy of 
salvation. Why is it? Is there any good reason 
for this failure? Does the fault lie in the scriptures, 
or in us? Is it not simply because we hesitate to 
take God at his word? because we are fearful of 
being presumptuous? or because we have never 
heartily confessed our sins? Perhaps it is because 
we have not had a right understanding of the gospel, 

A southern slaveholder decided to free an old man 
who had served him long and faithfully. Accord- 



12 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

ingly he had the necessary papers made out. Just 
before leaving on a long journey, thinking of the 
joy he was about to bestow on the old man, he 
placed the papers in his hand. The train carried 
him to a distant part of the country where he was 
occupied in business matters for two years. When 
he returned, what was his surprise to find the old 
slave still working for him and living on the place. 
He asked him why he was there. The old man 
was indignant that his master should think he 
would run away. ^'But," said his master, 'Svhat 
did you do with the papers I gave you?'' The old 
man produced them. Then he explained their 
meaning, that they made him a free man. He 
leaped and danced with joy. For two years, 
although really a free man, he had lived and felt 
like a slave, and all because he could not read. 
Are not many christians in this condition as to the 
forgiveness of their sins and the salvation of their 
souls, and for a similar reason, because they have 
not read their bibles aright? God has forgiven 
them, but they continue to live as the slaves of sin. 

ADOPTED INTO GOD'S FAMILY. 

^'For ye have not received the spirit of bondage 
again to fear : but ye have received the spirit of 



WHAT THIS JOY IS 13 

adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Rom. 
8:15.) ''But when the fullness of times was come, 
God sent His Son, made of a woman, made under 
the law, to redeem them that w^ere under the law, 
that we might receive the adoption of sons. And 
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit 
of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." 
(Gal. 4:5, 6.) ''Behold, what manner of love the 
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be 
called the sons of God. ^ ^ ^ ^ Beloved, now are 
we the sons of God, and it doth yet appear what we 
shall be." (i Jn. 3:1.) ''And if children, then 
heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ ; 
if so be that we suffer with him, that w^e may be 
also glorified together." (Rom. 8:17) 

Surely it ought to afford us great joy to feel that 
w^e are. members of the household of God, that God 
really sustains to us the relationship of a Father, 
that we stand on the same level wath Christ as 
"joint heirs." Do w^e realize this blessed fact? 
Is it not one of the essentials of the joy of salva- 
tion? We have an inheritance, but that is not all; 
we have a heritage. The estate is ours to enjoy 
here and now. The will has been probated, and 
it is being executed now. "iVll things are yours." 

Have we ever sat down quietly to reflect upon 
these things? Have we taken the Word of God in 



14 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

hand and compared scriptnre with scripture to 
ascertain just where we stand as God's dear chil- 
dren? If not, how can we expect to have the full 
joy of salvation? We need to look up our priv- 
ileges and consider our possessions Does the 
Spirit beget within us that sweet cry, Abba, Father? 
Do we know just what sort of a home we have? 
Or have we simply been expecting to enter that 
home when we die? O, child of God, if that be 
the case, you are robbing yourself of great comfort 
and happiness. 

And God is a loving Father. His infinite heart 
goes out in tender compassion toward those who 
have accepted His Son. There is no good thing 
that He will withhold from them. The storehouse 
of heaven is at their command. The '' exceeding 
great and precious promises" are all intended for 
you. Do you believe them? Do you enjoy the 
blessings they offer? The Father's love is shed 
abroad in the hearts of believers. Are our hearts 
thrilled with that sweet music? Or are the strings 
of the harp broken and displaced? 

THE INDWELLING SPIRIT. 

**What, know ye not that your bodies are the 
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 15 

ye have of God, and ye are not your own?'' (i Cor. 
6:19.) ^^Know ye not that ye are the temple of 
God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you'll'' 
(i Cor. 3:16.) ''But ye are not in the flesh, but 
in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell 
in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his." (Rom. 8:9.) ''For as 
many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the 
sons of God." (Rom. 8:14.) "Howbeit, when He, 
the Spirit of Truth, is come. He will guide you 
into all truth ; for He shall not speak concerning 
himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall 
He speak ; and He will show you things to come," 
(Jn. 16:13.) 

There is no doctrine of the Word of God less 
perfectly understood than that of the Holy Spirit. 
The gift of the Spirit is lost sight of in the gifts of 
the Spirit. We w^ant the fruit of the Spirit, but 
are not so ready to ask for the Spirit himself. Yet 
this is what we need. Doubtless many are made 
the subjects of His power who do not realize His 
presence. But His operations are greatly hindered 
by our lack of faith in His sovereign presence. He 
is a person, just as truly as the Son or the Father. 
He is much more than an influence. The believer's 
heart is His dwelling place. 

"Be filled with the Spirit." (Eph. 5:18.) The 



16 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

early disciples were filled and refilled with the 
Spirit. They felt that they had no power except 
as He gave it. They depended continually on His 
guidance. It is He that regenerates the soul, that 
opens the eyes of our understanding, that directs 
us in the path of duty, if only we are willing to be 
led and will seek His guidance. 

The theory that there is no necessity for praying 
for the Spirit as a special gift is a very delusive 
one. He may be present in the world as an atmos- 
phere, and doubtless it is true that many are the 
subjects of His operation who are entirely uncon- 
scious of the fact. Nevertheless, He dwells in 
individual hearts in answer to specific prayer for 
His presence. This is testified to by too many to be 
questioned. It is distinctly enunciated as the doc- 
trine of scripture. The passages above quoted are 
sufficient evidence of this, although others might 
be given. 

''The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and 
temperance.'' (Gal. 5:22, 23.) Joy is one of the 
fruits specified. Has your soul never been thrilled 
with heavenly raptures? Have you never rejoiced 
in spirit as you have attained to some new and 
richer experience of God's truth? This gift of the 
Spirit is the supreme joy of the soul. It is an inde- 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 1 T 

scribable pleasure. It is called ^^joy in the Holy 
Spirit.^' (Rom. 14:17.) 

POWER FROM ON HIGH. 

In Acts 1:8, we are told, ''But ye shall receive 
power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon 
you." The possession of spiritual power, power to 
do good, to do God's will, ought to be a perennial 
source of pleasure to the soul. His gifts are all 
designed to lift the soul to and prepare it for the 
higher joys of heaven. It must exalt one's feel- 
ings to know that he is used of God in the accom- 
plishment of His purposes in the world. Whoso 
full of joy as he who is continually leading souls 
to Christ? "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord 
shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; 
and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they 
shall obtain gladness and joy ; and sorrow and 
mourning shall flee away." (Isa. 51:11.) 

COMMUNION WITH GOD, 

''Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; 
for we know not what we should pray for as we 
ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession 
for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. And 



18 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the 
mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession 
for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom. 
8:26, 27.) It is only through the medium of the 
Spirit that we can commune with the Father. He 
it is that moves our hearts to prayer. He it is that 
fills our souls with the delights of worship. Our 
meditations on the divine word are made sweet and 
precious by His gracious expositions. It is He 
that ''opens our eyes to behold wondrous things 
out of God's law,'' He has led us in our christian 
experience. Those hours of communion so delight- 
ful to the heart were times when He was peculiarly 
present to assist and enlighten and bless. 

What privilege more joyful than that of com- 
muning with our heavenly Father? Can we ever 
worship, in the true sense of the word, without 
having the spirit of joy in our hearts? Worship is 
the expression of the heart's joy in God. As it 
affords pleasure to converse with one who is above 
us in intellectual and social qualities, so, only in 
infinitely higher measure, it must greatly increase 
our joy to commune with the P'ather of our spirits. 
The christian would delight to spend all his time 
in the enjoyment of this high privilege. Many are 
led thus to neglect the practical duties of life. Not 
a few are chargeable with religious dissipation. 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 19 

But, of course, there can be no true spiritual enjoy- 
ment when dutv is nerfected. Hence such con- 
duct is usually its own corrective. The Spirit 
prompts to activity in the service of Christ, in the 
salvation of souls, as well as to worship^ But, 
other things being equah the richest pleasure of 
which the soul is capable is found in the hours of 
devotion, 

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP. 

Akin to this is the fellowship of christian hearts. 
Souls full of the love of Christ are always conge- 
nial. We need and enjoy each other's sympathy. 
We depend upon each other for counsel and sup- 
port. Between christian hearts there ought always 
to be such a measure of freedom that their fellow- 
ship will be marked by the most expressive joy. 
Not only will this manifest itself in times of trial 
and adversity, but also in prosperity. In true 
christian fellowship there is an entire elimination 
of envy, jealousy, strife and bitterness. One of 
Paul's reasons for thankfulness in behalf of the 
Philippians was the fact of their fellowship in the 
gospel. (Phil. 1 15.) John says, in his first epistle, 
(1:5.) ''But if we walk in the light, as He is in 
the light, we have fellowship one with another. 



20 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us 
from all sin.'' One who has the light wants to 
communicate it to others. You cannot keep a 
happy christian heart silent. It will find some 
way of telling its joy abroad. Hence we find that 
brethren in Christ are drawn together. 

And God delights in this spirit of fellow\ship. 
In Mai. 3:16, we read: '^Then they that feared 
the lyord spake often one to another ; and the Lord 
liarkened and heard, and a book of remembrance 
was written before Him for them that feared the 
lyord, and that thought upon His name." Chris- 
tian reader, if you are not in the habit of talking 
freely about your spiritual needs and joys to your 
iDrothers and sisters in Christ, just make trial of it 
and see how it will kindle anew the flame of love 
in your soul. There are so many that need this 
sort of help, too. If we are members of the same 
household, surely we should be on speaking terms 
with all its inmates. 

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST. 

This leads us to a higher plane. The Savior 
deigns to have personal fellowship with his follow- 
ers. He communicates himself to those who believe 
on his name. Not one of them is beneath his 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 21 

notice or consideration. Is it a privilege to hold 
converse with one of earth's kings? Are we flat- 
tered with the attention of earthly royalty? It is 
onr joy to commnne with the King of kings and 
the Lord of lords. He sits upon the throne with 
the Father. Listen to his words: '*He that hath 
my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that 
loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved 
of my Father, and I will love him, and will mani- 
fest myself to him." (Jn. 14:21.) Again, in the 
23d verse, he says : ^ ' If a man love me he will keep 
my words ; and my Father will love him, and we 
will come unto him and make our abode with him.'' 
This thought is re-echoed in Rev. 3:20: ^^ Behold 
I stand at the door and knock ; if any man hear my 
voice and open the door, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he with me." 

What greater joy could we have than this? The 
loving Jesus is willing to dwell in my poor unworthy 
heart ! Can anything restrain my joy when I think 
of this? We may thus talk with him as our elder 
brother. What comfort we ought to experience in 
every trial and distress ! 

And what does he mean by those words, '' I will 
manifest myself to him?" Will he reveal himself 
in some peculiar and inexpressible way to my soul ? 
That is what he seems to intimate. Do we not at 



22 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

times enjoy these special manifestations of the Sa- 
vior to our souls? Are there not occasions when 
we have clearer apprehensions of Christ and of his 
truth? times when he appears to us as ''the chief 
among ten thousand and the One altogether lovely?' ' 

And what does he mean by offering to ''sup with 
us?" To sit at meal with one, especially if it is by 
invitation, is one of the highest enjoyments of 
friendship. In this case, although he provides the 
meal, he is the guest. That bestows double honor 
on us. And, after all, it is entirely for our benefit. 
Yet, in some sense, the Savior seems to need his 
disciples, "That where I am, there ye may be 
also.'' O, wonderful words! How expressive of 
tenderness and love ! 

This is an important part of the joy of salvation. 
But it is something more. 

IT IS CHRISTS OWN JOY. 

"These things have I spoken unto you that my 
joy might remain in you, and that your joy might 
be full." (Jn. 15:11.) It is something more than 
the result of a series of acts or of accumulated 
knowledge and experience. It is imparted unto 
the soul. It is the divine benediction. Christ 
said to his disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 23 

peace I give unto yon/' (Jn. 14.27.) This peace 
was something more than the resultant of preceding 
operating causes. It came direct from the Savior. 
So this joy is an ecstasy of soul that has its origin 
in the Savior alone. No one can receive it but 
those on whom he chooses to bestow it. It suffuses 
the natural joy of the heart, under the influence of 
spiritual causes, and intensifies it in such measure 
as to make it unspeakable and full of glory. It is 
the crowninor blessiuQ^ of the soul. 

It is the Savior's good pleasure, however, to grant 
this joy unto all his disciples. He is not partial in 
the distribution of his favors. He ^' will withhold 
from us no good thing." (Ps. 84:11.) It is a part 
of our inheritance in him. It is a component ele- 
ment of salvation. Therefore each one may ask 
and receive it for himself. It is the signet ring 
bestowed upon us by the Master, the seal of our 
acceptance with him. 

THE POSSESSIOX OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 

Truth is designed to terminate in character. 
While it would be wrong to look upon ourselves 
with self-complacency, no matter how great our 
attainments, yet there is a sense in which it may 
afford us pleasure to know that we are in the right 



24 THE JOY OF SALVATION. . 

path, the way that leads ultimately to glory, that 
we are building spiritually upon the right founda- 
tion, that we are making progress in the christian 
life. This may be considered as constituting a 
part of the joy of salvation. 

It is questionable whether one can know the very 
first elements of true happiness without the posses- 
sion of christly character. All true manhood begins 
and ends in Him. The end to be subserved in the 
carrying out of the great plan of salvation is to 
make men like Him. ''We shall be like Him, for 
we shall see Him as He is." (i Jn. 3:2.) In the 
Day of Judgment men are to be judged ''accord- 
ing to the deeds done in the body,'' and Christ 
plainly teaches that " out of the abundance of the 
heart the mouth speaketh," That is, "As a man 
thinketh in his heart, so is he." In other words 
character is what tells, both in this world and in 
that to come. The whole aim of the church as 
established by Christ is to make true men and 
women. It is strange that any other idea of the 
church should ever have been entertained. 

The possession of such a character must enhance 
our joy. The Father looks upon such with the 
love of complacency. The consciousness of this 
will add materially to our happiness. To know 
that we are counted with the friends of God, to 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 25 

feel at home with the angels and saints in their 
ascriptions of praise to the Lamb as they surround 
the throne, to be conscious of the fact that we are 
co-workers with God in seeking the world's eleva- 
tion, surely this ought to fill our souls with rap- 
tures almost divine. 

THE WORD IN THE HEART, 

The Word of God, received in faith, is in the 
heart as a well-spring of joy. What did the Savior 
say to the woman of Samaria? "If thou knewest 
the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, 
Give me to drink, thou w^ouldest have asked of 
him, and he would have given thee living water, 
^ ^ >5i ^ ^ ^ Whosoever drinketh of this water 
thirsteth again ; but whosoever drinketh of the 
water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but 
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a 
well of water springing up into everlasting life.'' 
(Jn. 4:10, 14.) He that truly drinks of the cup of 
salvation experiences a joy that is "unspeakable 
and full of glory;" he has a peace that "passeth 
all understanding." 

Every convert knows somewhat of this joy of 
salvation. How our soul w^as thrilled when first 
we came to Jesus, and the love of God was shed 



26 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

abroad in our hearts ! What pleasure we took in 
worship and christian service ! How we delighted 
to read the Bible and to engage in prayer ! The 
sacred page was illuminated with heavenly light as 
we read it. With the Psalmist, each one could 
say, ^' He brought me up also out of an horrible 
pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a 
rock, and established my goings. And he hath 
put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto 
our God ; many shall see and fear, and shall trust 
in the Lord." (Ps. 40:2, 3.) And this joyful feel- 
ing has increased as the years have rolled on, if 
we have been true and faithful. We have realized, 
in some measure, the answer to that wonderful 
prayer of the Apostle Paul, ^'For this cause I bow 
my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is 
named, that he would grant you, according to the 
riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might 
by his Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may 
dwell in your heart by faith ; that ye, being rooted 
and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 
with all saints what is the breadth and length and 
depth and height, and to know the love of Christ 
which passeth knowledge ; that ye might be filled 
with all the fullness of God.'' (Eph. 3:14-19.) 



WHAT THIS JOY IS. 27 

A SPECIAL BLESSING. 

Another element in this joy, as it enters into 
the experience of not a few, is what is variously 
denominated as '^Christian Perfection," ''The 
Higher Christian Life," the " Baptism of the Holy 
Spirit," ''Full Assurance of Faith," etc. Some- 
times it is also called a second conversion ; but this 
is an unwarranted designation of the experience. 
The only possible second conversion there can be 
is of the nature of a reclamation from a backslidden 
state. 

That there is such a thing as receiving a special 
blessing from God, in an increased measure of the 
gift of the Spirit, cannot be doubted. Many chris- 
tians testify to this as a matter of experience. It 
is folly for one who has not had this experience 
to hold that it is impossible, on the ground that he 
has never been thus blessed. Good and reliable 
testimony has been given on this subject which 
we are not at liberty to reject without examination. 

The experience spoken of has nothing in it of 
the nature of "perfectionism." It leads to any- 
thing but the feeling that you are without sin. It 
consists mainly in the apprehension and reception 
of Christ as our holiness, in the realization that he 
has done all that is required to be done in order to 



28 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

our sanctification, and that the way to true holi- 
ness lies in thus accepting and apprehending him. 
It is simply fullness of salvation through full trust 
in Christ. 

It does not follow that one cannot be a christian 
without this special blessing. As a matter of fact, 
but few christians, comparatively, enter into the 
enjoyment of this blessing. It is their privilege to 
do so, but they have never reached that degree of 
faith and consecration necessary in order to its real- 
ization. 

There is no limit to the measure of blessing that 
God is willing to bestow upon his believing people. 
It is wholly a matter of faith on our part, Blessing 
ought to follow blessing in the christian life. We 
ought to have joy added to joy, peace flooding the 
soul, life superadded to life, grace upon grace. 
Each successive blessing will of course increase 
our joy in Christ. 



CHAPTER II. 

ftoW tl?is ^0^; Ma^; be best. 

fer^'O have possessed a treasure and then to have 
^ p^ lost it is not only nnfortunate, but also very 
^ annoying. We are filled with regret and 
anguish just in proportion to its value. The woman 
who had lost one of her ten pieces of silver lighted 
a candle and swept the house and sought diligently 
until she found it. She had nine pieces left, how- 
ever; hence she was not utterly cast down. But 
he who loses the joy of salvation has virtually lost 
every other blessing. He can enjoy nothing else, 
however desirable in itself, until the lost blessing 
is recovered. He is a wanderer, without a home 
and Avithout comfort. His days are passed in the 
darkness. There is a deep unrest in his soul which 
the world, with all its glittering frivolities, can 
never heal, and which threatens his eternal peace. 
The temptation at such a time is to be occupied 
with the loss and to become gloomy over it, instead 
of trying to find a way out of the labarynth of dis- 



29 



30 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

tress into which the soul has fallen. How true it 
is, ''The backslider in heart shall be filled with 
his own ways ''? (Prov. 14:14,) 

THE FACT THAT THE BLESSING MAY BE LOST, 

Christian experience testifies to this. There can 
be no doubt about it. The Psalmist recognizes 
this in his prayer, ^''Restore unto me the joy of 
Thy salvation." All christians have times of 
declension. We do not mean to say that they 
could not be avoided. It is unquestionably sinful 
to fall into such a condition. Elijah lost heart and 
became discouraged, even to the point of praying 
that God would take his life. It was then that he 
fled from the face of Jezebel, and hid in the cave of 
Mt. Horeb. David was often cast into the slough 
of despond, and had to cry unto God for deliver- 
ance. Very few of the Old Testament worthies 
maintained uninterrupted communion with God. 
The chosen people of God were always backslid- 
ing. "Why then is this people of Jerusalem slid- 
den back with a perpetual backsliding?'' (Jer. 8:9.) 
We do not seem to find absolute and perfect deliv- 
erance from the law of sin that is in our members, 
that wars against the law of the mind, and brings 
us into captivity to the law of sin and death. (Rom. 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 31 

7.) But in every instance we are to blame for the 
cessation of this joy in the soul. 

LIVIXG IN KNOWN SIN. 

Do christians ever do this? We are very sorry 
to be obliged to make the acknowledgment. But 
facts sustain the averment. It is doubtful whether 
christians commit what we call willful sins, in dis- 
tinction from those that are done in ignorance or 
through weakness of the flesh. Usually we are 
entrapped or deluded into the commission of sin. 
It is against our better judgment, and in the face 
of our nobler impulses. God judges us by the 
ruling purpose of the soul The great question is, 
What is the trend of our lives? Is it upward or 
downward? Is it in harmony with God, or in con- 
flict wath his plans? 

Certainly no one can maintain peace with God 
while he consents to the reign of sin in his heart. 
The attitude of the christian must ever be that of 
antagonism to the evil propensities of his nature. 
Like his Master, he must seek to destroy the works 
of the Devil. How can one be joyful in any proper 
sense while he is allowing himself to walk in sin- 
ful ways? It would be impossible. This joy comes 
from God. Would He impart it to one living in 



32 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

open sin? Certainly not. It would not only be 
presumptuous to have faith under such circum- 
stances, but it would be impossible to do so. Faith 
cannot be exercised at will, without reference to 
the life. 

The Apostle John tells us something about this 
in his first Epistle (3:21, 22). He says, ''Beloved, 
if our heart condemn us not^ then have we confi- 
dence toward God, and whatsoever we ask we 
receive of him, because we keep his command- 
ments and do those things that are pleasing in his 
sight.'' That evidently means that we cannot 
have true faith without a good conscience. It 
means that we must live right if we would have 
access to the throne of grace. Not that we are 
required to be perfect but that our motives must 
be pure, that our actions must spring from good 
purposes, that we must be honestly trying to do 
his will. Obedience is and always will be the test 
of character. "If I regard iniquity in my heart 
the Lord will not hear me." (Ps. 66:18.) If we 
are conscious of having sinned, we must first get 
rid of it by confession and repentance. Perhaps 
this will explain why so many of our prayers remain 
unanswered. The day is past when men can live 
in sin and claim to be children of God, However 
perfect our acquaintance with the creed of our 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 33 

church, or with the Bible itself, if we are destitute 
of christian character we are not the disciples of 
Christ. The upright man is the one who is strong- 
spiritually. His faith in Christ makes him upright 
as a matter of necessity. He knows that without- 
holy living he cannot exercise faith. Hence the 
allowance of sin is a positive barrier to spiritual, 
progress. 

SECRET SINS. 

Sometimes we fancy that if our sin is not pub- 
licly committed, that if it is not known, we may 
still be joyful in God. A moment's reflection will 
reveal the futility of such a claim. It is not a ques- 
tion of legal or ceremonial restraint. Sin of any 
kind, whether open or secret, is an effective barrier 
to the possession of happy feelings. The will can- 
not override the fact of sin. God sees, if man does 
not. He sees, even when we seem to be utterly 
and perversely blind as to the fact. Sin is deceit- 
ful. It blinds the judgment and hardens the heart. 
It gnaws at our vitals, whether open or concealed. 
We often have need to say with the Psalmist, 
''Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou 
me from secret faults. " (Ps. 19:12.) 



34 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

ESPECIALLY ANGER, IMPATIENCE AND PASSION. 

Ought the christian ever to grow angry? Ought 
he ever to become impatient? Ought he ever to 
allow himself to become the victim, of passion, in 
the sinful sense? There may be extenuating cir- 
cumstances that will lead God to be lenient in deal- 
ing with us after yielding to these infirmities. Of 
that there can be no doubt. He is willing to for- 
give and to cleanse. Nevertheless, it will be found 
practically that these weaknesses (if w^e characterize 
them by so mild an epithet) are a great hindrance 
to us in the simple matter of christian enjoyment. 
It is only as we are struggling against them and 
willing to acknowledge them that we can continue 
in the divine favor. Grace ought to enable us to 
overcome in all these respects, and it will if we are 
true in spirit. But when inordinate and passionate 
feelings are not held in check we soon discover 
that the Spirit is grieved from our hearts only to 
return when our spirit is humbled and made peni- 
tent. ''And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, 
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, 
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all 
malice ; and be ye kind one to another, tender- 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 35 

hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for 
Christ's sake hath forgiven you/' (Eph. 4:30-32.) 

VN BELIEF. 

But the chief cause that operates in the loss of 
the joy of salvation is unbelief We doubt the ful- 
ness of the promise. We question the willingness 
of the Savior to save to the uttermost. We doubt 
the efficacy of the truth to effect our complete deliv- 
erance from the enthrallment of sin. We think it 
would be presumption to assume, even on the basis 
of divine assurance, that we are really and actually 
saved. With many it is esteemed a proof of merit 
not to allow one's self to rest in the love of Christ. 
We are afraid to venture on the promise, to reach 
out the hand of faith to receive the gifts of grace 
and salvation. We underestimate the father's love. 
^^He that spared not His owm Son, but delivered 
him up for us all, how shall He not with him also 
freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32.) ''Who 
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It 
is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? 
It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen 
again, \vho is even at the right hand of God, who 
also maketh intercession for us. Who shall sepa- 
rate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, 



36 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, 
or peril, or sword? ^ ^ ^ ^ Nay, in all these 
things we are more than conquerors through him 
that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither 
death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall 
be able to separate us /?^om the love of God^ which 
is 171 Christ J e sits our Lord,'^ (Rom. 8:33-39.) 

This is the language of faith, of trustful assur- 
ance. Unbelief keeps us back from thus peacefully 
resting in the divine love. If we really believed 
that nothing could separate us from the love of God 
in Christ, there would be no room for doubt or con- 
sequent unhappiness. When faith is bright and 
unclouded all is bright and happy. '^Take heed 
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbe- 
lief in departing from the living God." (Heb. 3:12.) 
It was unbelief that kept Israel from possessing the 
Promised Land. (See Heb. 4:6.) ''Let us labor, 
therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall 
after the same example of unbelief. " (v. 1 1 .) Un- 
belief is undoulDtedly the crying sin of the church 
and of the world. 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. ' 37 

THE CENSORIOUS SPIRIT. 

Faultfinding is never commendable. As a rule 
it does more harm than good. The spirit of criti- 
cism, even when there seems to be just ground for 
it, will rob the soul of peace and spiritual comfort. 
Generally it indicates, too, that the one who is 
given to it is a backslider in heart. We cannot 
assume to control others by our conscientious scru- 
ples. We have no right to set up a standard of 
conduct that is not clearly authorized of God. And 
even when it is so authorized, it is unwise to be 
continually reminding people of their shortcom- 
ings. It begets resentment and alienation of feel- 
ing. In the end it will deprive us of all influence 
for good. The minister of the gospel is authorized 
to do some things in this direction, in the way of 
rebuke, which the private christian had far better 
leave entirely to him. If we could only always 
tell people their faults in love for their souls, it 
might be different. That, however, is not censor- 
iousness. 

The Spirit dwells only in loving hearts, in hearts 
attuned to God's praise, in souls obedient to His 
behests. We can have the censorious spirit only 
as we are disobedient to His movings. It is impos- 



38 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

sible that we should do this and continue to have 
the joy of salvation. The only way to induce men 
to give up sin is by showing them something bet- 
ter. Harsh rebukes only confirm the soul in wick- 
edness. 

ANXIETIES, PERPLEXITIES, TROUBLES. 

These annoy just in proportion as we are lacking 
in faith. The christian ought to be able to rise 
above them. There are times, however, when it 
seems almost impossible to do so, times when we 
are predisposed to cherish them. It is only as we 
have learned how^ to cast our cares upon the Lord 
that we can retain our joy in face of them. The 
temptation is to fix the eye too intently on our 
troubles. We cannot look at them and keep our 
eyes on the Savior at the same time. We are apt 
to forget that Christ is willing to bear these dis- 
tresses for us ; but he cannot do so unless we are 
willing to relinquish our hold on them. Paul 
rejoiced in tribulations and persecutions. The 
more he suffered the more he rejoiced. In these 
days there are not many who can live in the spirit 
of the Master's words : '^Blessed are they that are 
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for their's is the 
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 39 

shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say 
all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 
Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your 
reward in heaven ; for so persecuted they the 
prophets which were before you.'' (Alat. 5:10-12.) 
We should be able to say with the Psalmist, 
^'Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou 
wilt revive me.'' ( Ps. 138:7. ) ^^And not only so, 
but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that 
tribulation worketh patience, and patience experi- 
ence, and experience hope, and hope maketh not 
ashamed." (Rom. 5:3, 4.) 

The difficulty arises not so much from the troub- 
les themselves, as from the way in which we receive 
them. If endured in a submissive spirit they lose 
their power to cast down. Faith is the remedy. 

ILL HEALTH OR LACK OF SUFFICIEXT SLEEP. 

Many spiritual ills may be traced to physical 
causes. The body exerts a marked influence on 
the soul. Disease often, and very unnecessarily, 
robs us of joy and comfort. And yet, some of the 
greatest triumphs have been won in this respect by 
the suffering children of God. If we were asked 
to point out the most patient and submissive spirit 
known to us, it would probably be that of one who 



40 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

has been the greatest sufferer. Such an one has 
learned the secret of the Lord which is '^ with them 
that fear Him." The depression of soul which 
often casts us down, and brings a cloud over our 
experience, may often be remedied by a physician's 
prescription. But one can learn to understand his 
own case and thus be enabled to rise above the 
tendency to depression or despondency. 

Spiritual languor and darkness may also be 
traced, at times, to the fact that we have been 
deprived of needful bodily rest in the way of sleep. 
The most restful, trustful and joyous souls, other 
things being equal, are those which inhabit healthy 
bodies, bodies that have been duly recuperated by 
'Hired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," We 
are not to be sluggards ; but the Lord knows that 
a certain amount of sleep is indispensable in order 
to true happiness of soul. So ''He giveth his 
beloved sleep." 

NEGLECT OF CHRISTIAN DUTY. 

"He that hath my commandments and keepeth 
them, he it isthatlovethme." (Jn. 14:21.) "If a 
man love me he will keep my words." (Jn. 14:23.) 
Obedience is the test of discipleship. " Be ye doers 
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 41 

own selves.'' (Jas. 1:22,) ''And he said unto 
them, If any man will come after me, let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow 
me." (Ivuke 9:23.) "For whosoever will save 
his life shall lose it ; but whosoever will lose his 
life for my sake, the same shall save it," (Luke 
9:24) 

There is such a thing as making too much of 
duty, in the form of legalism, but there can be 
no question that many christians rob themselves of 
the joy of salvation by unwillingness to do what 
the Lord requires of them. We are not justified 
on the basis of our good works, but our happiness 
depends not a little on our engaging heartily in 
them* A part of the joy of salvation is the gather- 
ing in of the harvest. If we are not contributing 
our share toward the accomplishment of the work, 
how can we feel satisfied? Must there not be a 
measure of discontent when we see the fields ''white 
to the harvest" and yet we are standing idly by 
and leaving others to do the work? Does not God 
say to us, if that be true, "Why stand ye here idle 
all the day long?" Will He bestow his blessing 
upon us, under these circumstances? Certainly 
not in sufficient measure to entitle it to be called 
"the joy of salvation." We may rejoice in seeing 



42 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

souls brought into the kingdom by others, even if 
v^e have done nothing ourselves, but it will be far 
from '^fulness of blessing'' such as here referred to. 

We need christian work of some kind to keep 
our faculties alert, to kindle the fires of devotion, 
to enable us to enter into sympathy with the Savior, 
to keep our souls in touch with mankind ; but this 
work is necessary in order to bring men to Christ. 
We must share in it if we are the children of God, 
We will find our joy fast diminishing if we cease 
to labor in the vineyard, Lack of employment in 
the service of the Master explains much of our 
despondency and spiritual indifference. Every 
child of God should find something to do for Jesus. 
It is one of the safeguards of christian experience. 
''Satan still some mischief finds for idle hands 
to do." 

We should regard it as one of our great privi- 
leges to be counted worthy to be co-laborers with 
Christ To everyone is given at least one talent 
to be used to God's glory. The servant who hid 
his talent was met with rebuke and was beaten 
with many stripes. The disposition to excuse our- 
selves from undertaking work for Christ because 
of fancied or even real unfitness will certainly rob 
the soul of its joy. 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 43 

DEPEXDING ON A PAST EXPERIENCE. 

It is well to be able to look back in our spiritual 
history to a time when we received special bless- 
ings at God's hand, when our minds were illumi- 
nated with heavenly light, when our hearts w^ere 
all aglow with holy love and zeal, when our com- 
munion with God was sweet and precious. But 
that is not enough» Christianity is a life. The 
truth is designed to do a continuous work. We 
cannot be satisfied without making progress. There' 
is something wrong in our idea of religion or in 
our method of manifesting it if we have not a pres- 
ent enjoyment of its blessings, a present experience 
of its power. Paul was of a far different spirit. He 
said, '^ Forgetting the things which are behind, 
and reaching forth unto the things which are before, 
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus. " (Phil. 3:13, 14,) 

If we daily meditate on the Word and hold com- 
munion with God we will not be depending on the 
past, however satisfactory it may have been. if 
we are actively engaged in christian work and are 
growing in grace, we will not be disposed to look 
back to some distant period of illumination and 
blessino: for the evidence that we are the children 



44 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

of God. That bright spot need not be forgotten 
or despised, but it ought not to be allowed to usurp 
the place of a present salvation. If it is so allowed 
we will inevitably lose our comfort and joy in 
Christ. It is Christ who saves us, not our experi- 
ences. 

A NEGATIVE REASON. 

Sometimes the loss of this joy is due to the opera- 
tion of a negative cause. We fail to keep in mind 
the blessed truths and facts involved in salvation. 
Our memories are weak. We lose sight of the very 
truth or fact that is needed to bring us out of our 
darkness into the light. If we have not kept our 
minds refreshed by continual perusal of tlie Word, 
if we have been necessarily occupied wath our 
worldly business, if w^e have been prevented by 
circumstances from engaging as much in prayer as 
we have been accustomed to, this may rob us of 
our comfort and joy. It is often the case that we 
are thus depressed in spirit, and perhaps we do not 
clearly understand the real cause of our distress. 
While we should always be conscious of the Savior's 
presence, yet the best christians sometimes yield to 
influences of this character. The necessary result 
is that they become dejected in spirit. i\ll that the 



HOW IT MAY BE LOST. 45 

soul needs is a new refreshing from on high, the 
privilege of christian fellowship, a new baptism of 
the Spirit. 

OUEXCHING THE SPIRIT. 

In all the various ways referred to above we are 
guilty of quenching the Spirit. His monitions and 
behests should be most scrupulously obeyed. We 
are dependent on Him for the renewal of our spirits, 
for the perfection of our characters, for the power 
to render efficient service, for every thrill of heav- 
enly joy that passes through the soul. Without 
His aid we cannot comprehend the meaning of the 
Word, or understand the will of God. ' ' And grieve 
not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed 
unto the day of salvation. " (Eph. 3:30.) 

"Let us, therefore, fear lest a promise being left 
us of enterino: into his rest, anv of vou should seem 
to come short of it. For unto us the gospel was 
preached, as well as unto them ; but the Word 
preached did not profit them, not being mixed with 
faith in them that heard it. For we which have 
believed do enter into rest, as he said. As I have 
sworn in my wrath. If they shall enter into my 
rest ; although the works were finished before the 
foundation of the world. ^ ^ ^ There remain- 



46 THE JOY OF SALVATION 

eth, therefore, a rest to the people of God. * ^ ^ * 
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest 
any man fall after the same example of unbelief.'' 
(Heb. 4:1-11.) 




CHAPTER III. 
jio\A) ilqe boss of iljis lSlGssin| ©Affects tl^f biff. 

\ ATURALLY the loss of such a blessing will 
exert an unwholesome influence on the life. 
It is impossible, after having- once experi- 
enced its thrilling influence, to be satisfied to live 
without it. Without it, there is a barrenness and 
lonesomeness in life which are positively unendura- 
ble. We hardly know what to do. 

RESTLESSXESS OF SPIRIT. 

This is probably the first conscious effect it pro- 
duces. We roam about like wanderers, as those 
who have lost the way, as those who have been 
deprived of some great comfort. The soul becomes 
disconsolate. We lose that peacefulness and tran- 
quility of soul which mark the experience of those 
who are still abiding in Christ. In other words, it 
is the loss of spiritual equipoise. 



48 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

Peace is the natural heritage of the christian. 
Christ says to us, as he said to his disciples, ''Peace 
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not 
as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your 
heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid." (Jn. 
14:27.) ''Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth 
in Thee." (Isa» 26:3 ) We cannot lose this peace 
without being consciously affected in our faith and 
experience. 

Oh how pitiable is the condition of one thus de- 
prived of God's blessing! Pastors can testify to 
this. Sometimes even at midnight they will be 
sent for to pray and converse with one who cannot 
sleep because he has lost the blessing. And these 
souls are generally so perturbed that but little can 
be done for them but to commend them to the 
Savior's compassion. It is very hard to bring them 
relief. 

FILLED WITH THEIR OWS WAYS. 

In Proverbs 14:14 we are told, "The backslider 
shall be filled with his own ways. ' ' As the loss of the 
joy of salvation is necessarily traceable to spiritual 
declension, and is therefore a species of backslid- 
ing, so we would expect to find this scripture 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. " 49 

fulfilled in those who are in this condition. And 
facts sustain this expectation. The one who has 
lost his sense of the presence of God in his soul at 
once seeks to ascertain the cause. He begins to 
search his conduct, to scrutinize his habits, that 
he may find some way out of his distress. If this 
is done honestly and sincerely it will result in re- 
lief But usually it is a disingenuous proceeding. 
We really know, in our hearts, what the cause of 
our trouble is, but we are unwilling to make the 
acknowledgment and the consequent renunciation 
that must follow if we would again be possessed of 
joy. And just in proportion as this unwillingness 
prevails will we be occupied with thoughts of our- 
selves. And to the extent that we are busied with 
these self-examinations without actual return to 
God do they^rengthen their hold upon us. We 
become overwhelmed in a maze of trouble and per- 
plexity. 

We can find no joy in looking too long at our- 
selves. That necessitates the turning away of our 
eyes from him who alone can give us relief ^'' Look- 
ing loito Jesus^ the author and finisher of our faith,'' 
should be the motto of the christian. The old say- 
ing is true, ^'If we look within all is dark, if we 
look without all is confusion, if we look up all is 
tright and clear." But this upward look must be 



50 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

a look of faith. It is impossible to have much 
faith while v^e are looking at ourselves. The cloud 
that intervenes between us and the Sun of right- 
eousness will sooner be discovered by looking up 
than by looking down. Yet the latter is just what 
we are apt to do when we have lost the joy of sal- 
vation. We go out to search for our Beloved, but 
He is not to be found. We return only to renew 
the profitless search in the 'wrong direction. We 
go to our friends or those who we think can help 
us and inquire if they have seen our Beloved and 
whither he has gone. All the while we forget that 
when he was waiting to enter the soul we refused 
to arise and open the door until it was too late. So 
we are filled with our own doings, instead of being 
filled with '^the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all.'' 

DISCOURAGEMENT IN WORK, 

How hard it is to do christian work when the 
heart is not joyful ! ''The joy of the Lord is your 
strength." (Neh. 8 no.) It is only as we are 
''strengthened with might by his Spirit in the 
inner man," (Eph. 3:16) that we can do God's 
work successfully. But one of the causes of our loss 
of the joy of salvation is the temporary withdrawal 
of the Spirit from the soul, or at least the withhold- 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. 51 

ing of his comforts. Hence we are measurably left 
to ourselves, which is equivalent to saying that we 
.are deprived of our strength. For one to lose the 
consciousness of God's sustaining presence is to lose 
heart in the prosecution of his work. It is useless 
to try to do it. We cannot succeed in it till the 
blessing is restored. We may struggle against the 
feeling of despondency that creeps into the soul by 
sheer exercise of our will power, but the twilight 
will deepen into the darkness of midnight unless 
the daystar arise in our hearts. 

But all feeling of discouragement is not to be 
traced to this cause. There may be reasons out- 
side of ourselves for disheartenment. One cannot 
do much alone. It is only as we are supported and 
assisted by fellow christians that we can make some 
forms of christian work successful. It must induce 
somewhat of this feeling to see God's people unwill- 
ing to come up to the help of the Lord against the 
mighty, to see them indifferent when the harvest 
is ripe for the reaping, 

FAILURE IN WORK. 

This is more deplorable than mere discourage- 
ment, which only affects ourselves. We cannot do 
much execution with a sword that is blunted. We 



52 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

cannot reap s^uccess when we are without true wis- 
dom in the direction of our work. There must be 
disappointment in results when we are deprived of« 
the leadings of the Spirit. At such a time, instead 
of being able, as it were, intuitively to decide upon 
the best means for the accomplishment of a partic- 
ular work, we find ourselves hesitant and uncer- 
tain ; we are lacking in spiritual decision. 

It is one of the peculiarities of the christian relig- 
ion that the success of our work depends not only 
on the adaptation of the means to the end, but on 
the spirit in which it is prosecuted. No one can 
do God's work who is not in harmony with God in 
thought and purpose. This often explains why 
one is more successful than another in doing the 
same kind of work. 

What we need constantly to aim at is good results. 
The christian ought always to be successful, in the 
true sense of the word. It is sad to see him mak- 
ing repeated failures. How many are^ perish- 
ing while he is thus spoiling his opportunities ! 
We should keep the armor bright. We should 
always be panoplied in it. We must not be 
content to have only one piece in readiness. We 
are directed to '^put on i(/ie whole armor of God." 
He who has lost the joy of salvation has lost the 
shield of faith, and the breastplate of righteousness. 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. 53 

and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the 
Spirit. What can he do but be stricken down by 
the enemy? 

RELINQUISHMENT OF EFFORT. 

This w^ant of success will result ultimately, if 
the soul is not restored to its lost possession, in 
entire relinquishrilent of effort. Without joy we 
have no relish for the sacrifices and possible hard- 
ships involved in doing the Lord's work. With- 
out some measure of success, of what use to con- 
tinue effort? If we are sure to do things in the 
wrong way, what sense in trying to do them at all? 
Evidently our first duty and necessity is to bring 
our souls into a right attitude toward God spirit- 
ually before attempting service. If for any reason 
we fail in accomplishing this, we will soon desist 
from the effort of our own accord. In all this we 
will be committing deeper sin, because it is possi- 
ble to find a way out of the difficulty. God stands 
ready to reveal that way if we are only willing to 
obey. 

Christians have been known to live for years in 
this unsatisfactory condition. They may not lose 
hope of salvation. They live under a cloud. Life 
to them is simply an endurance. They have no 



54 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

Spiritual comfort. They are hoping against hope 
that in some way they will be brought back to the 
enjoyment o^ God's favor. If the difficulty is only 
one of unbelief, of reluctancy of faith, they may 
find relief by simply waiting, if they wait in expect- 
ancy of the blessing. But if the cause lie deeper, 
it will be necessary for them to probe deeper in 
order to its discovery and cure. If real longing of 
soul for the recovery of the lost blessing continue, 
it is evidence that the Spirit has not given us over 
to the hardness of our hearts, and that there is yet 
possibility of recovery. If they have relinquished 
effort for the sole reason that it seems to be useless, 
and not because the work is distasteful to the soul, 
there is reason to believe that they will yet be 
brought out of darkness into the light. But they 
are likely to withdraw entirely from special effort 
until their joy is restored. 

PRAYER BECOMES COMPLAINT, 

What a revolution has taken place in the soul 
when this is the case ! Instead of praying for light 
and for direction as to the recovery of the lost bless- 
ing, we are apt, after a time, to be filled with mur- 
murings. Thus we make of the throne of grace a 
tribunal of judgment at whose bar we arraign God 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. 55 

himself. And how bitterly the soul can complain 
under the influence of despondent feelings ! Occa- 
sional expression of regret is proper in prayer, 
but to rend the heavens continually with our cries 
of distress is unnatural to the soul under right con- 
ditions. And the more we complain the deeper our 
darkness is likely to become. If at such times we 
could only cherish a submissive disposition, saying, 
'^IvOrd, if it is Thy will that I should walk in dark- 
ness and discomfort, Thy will be done," perhaps 
the lost joy would return. But we are more likely 
to be impatient, and this means longer continuance 
under the cloud. There can be no joy in conjunc- 
tion with rebellious and complaining thoughts. 

When we discover that we are given to murmur- 
ings we should make the most strenuous effort to 
rise above them We should betake ourselves to 
earnest prayer for deliverance. The disposition 
to yield to them is not a healthful spiritual indica- 
tion. It indicates that the soul has lost its hold of 
faith, that there is a wall of separation between the 
soul and God, that we have erred from the path of 
duty. 

OBSTINACY AND WILLFULNESS. 

This is the more adv^anced stage of evil results 
caused by the loss of the joy of salvation. Not 



56 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

having this joy restored we become angry with 
ourselves, with those about us, and, worse than all, 
with the Father himself. Not being able to force 
ourselves back into our former relationship of com- 
fort and happiness, we become sour and morose. 
We try to make ourselves believe that, after all, 
the maintenance of this joyful state is a mere mat- 
ter of will, of persistence, and the very effort thus 
to conquor peace develops obstinacy. And the 
worst of it is that we seem to be entirely uncon- 
scious of the fact that we are willful. We call it 
by another name. We say it is firmness or resolu- 
tion. Let us not deceive ourselves. The one who 
has the joy of salvation in his heart is patient and 
meek and submissive. 

SOME TEMPERAMENTS BECOME MISANTHROPIC, 

This is true especially of the ardent and imagi- 
native. They start out with a lofty ideal, but find 
it impossible to realize it. After repeated failures, 
they yield to despair, A sad melancholy steals 
over their minds. They fancy that all ,is surely 
going to ruin. Everything, according to them, is 
out of joint. Of course this is true, to some extent; 
but it furnishes no reason why we should lose heart 
or become disaffected. If^is no reason why we 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. 57 

should express harsh judgment of those who do not 
come up to our standard. The very ones we con- 
demn so severely are perhaps greatly disheartened 
because we are so unreasonable and uncharitable 
in our judgments. But, so far as we are concerned, 
matters become worse and worse» until we are total- 
ly alienated from even those who are trying to live 
right. 

Analyze this feeling and you will find that it is 
rooted in unbelief. It implies a lack of faith in 
God with reference to his people. And where there 
is true faith in God there will also be faith in man. 
Jesus never became misanthropic, though he had 
sufficient ground for yielding to that feeling if any 
one had. People were far from coming up to his 
standard of living. Even his most intimate disci- 
ples failed him in his hours of need. Yet he was 
always peaceful, always hopeful, always kind in 
spirit. 

SPIRITUAL DARKNESS. 

This is the most disastrous effect produced by 
the loss of this joy. The Word is no longer a 
source of comfort and peace. The Savior himself, 
instead of being to us the Light of the world, be- 
comes (in our estimation) the occasion of darkness. 
The sacred page is no longer illuminated with 



58 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

heavenly light. We do not take pleasure in read- 
ing the Bible, We begin to slight it. This, in 
conjunction with the fact that we neglect prayer, 
leads the soul inevitably into darkness. The heav- 
ens become brass above our heads. The presence 
of the Spirit is not manifest in our hearts. We 
cease to love the fellowship of the saints. We seek 
more worldly company. We mingle in worldly 
amusements. The longer we stay away from God 
and the farther we wander the darker it becomes. 
This is necessarily the case. 

Of course there are few who are so persistent in 
their controversy with God that they reach these 
regions of despair. They recover their joy before 
going so far. But some do get very far away from 
the heavenly rest. Oh, how much wiser to return 
to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls ! How 
much better to seek forgiveness and restoration 
before wandering so far ! But let us remember 
that these are the lost sheep ''out on the moun- 
tains cold and drear," for whose sake the Good 
Shepherd is willing to leave the ninety and nine 
in order that he may find them and bring them 
back to the fold. 



EFFECTS OF ITS LOSS. 59 

THE FEELING THAT GOD IS UNWILLIXG TO 
RECEIVE US. 

This is the hardest difficulty to overcome, as it 
is the natural result of all the other effects com- 
bined. We feel that we have forfeited the divine 
favor, and that there is no such thing for us as 
restoration. The difficulty is to forgive ourselves 
for being so perverse and unbelieving. The phil- 
osophy of its existence lies in the nature of con- 
science. The richer the blessings we relinquish 
the more self-condemned we feel. The fact that 
we have lost the blessing tends to destroy confi- 
dence in ourselves as able to retain it if restored, 
and therefore we do not seek it with much fervency 
of desire. If one were to turn his back upon heav- 
en after enjoying its delights, (if such a thing is 
imaginable) he would hardly have the face or cour- 
age to knock at the door again for admission. Pride 
alone would keep him in outer darkness. So it is 
with reference to the loss of the joy of salvation. 
We know that we alone are to blame. We are 
ashamed of our heartless conduct. Hence we yield 
to the belief that it is useless to seek recovery of 
the lost treasure. 

We should, of course, strive against yielding to 
this feeling. It is a mere feeling. It has its root 



60 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

in the sensibilities. It is not a product of sound 
reason . It is not justified by scripture. The Bible 
is full of promises of an opposite character. Of the 
righteous it is said, ''Though he fall, yet shall he 
not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth 
him with his hand." (Ps. 37:24.) "Fora just 
man falleth seven times (that is any number of 
times), and riseth up again. 'V (Prov. 24:16.) 

This conviction is undoubtedly wrought in the 
soul by Satanic power. It is one of his devices to 
keep our souls in darkness. It is also, in some 
instances, strengthened by the statement in Heb. 
6:4-6, to which we will refer in the opening of the 
next chapter. 



CHAPTER IV. 

ftoW tJje ^0^ of §al\)afion Ma^ be l^esfored. 
^^HE possibility of its loss does not necessarily 



^(g. ^ r . . 

^ frf' carry with it the impossibility of its recov- 
^ ery. So long as sin inheres in our natures 
will there be liability to change of feeling. So long 
as we have any measure of spiritual weakness left 
will we be exposed to the danger of falling. As 
intimated in the last chapter, we will be disposed 
to yield to the conviction that our case is hopeless 
if we have once been deprived of the blessing. This 
result works itself into our natures most insidiously. 
Let us therefore inquire, 

IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOVER THE BLESSING? 

In the epistle to the Hebrews (6 4-6) we find a 
statement that has served to confirm this feeling in 
the hearts of those who have lost the joy of God's 
presence. It reads, ' ' For it is impossible for those 

61 



62 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the 
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy 
Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, 
and the powers of the world to come, if they shall 
fall away, to renew them again to repentance ; see- 
ing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God 
afresh, and put him to open shame/' A passage 
of similar import is found in Heb. 10:26, 27: ^'For 
if we sin willfully after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more 
sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for 
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall 
devour the adversaries." Another is that of i Pet. 
2:20, 21, where it is said, *'For if, after they have 
escaped the pollutions of the world through the 
knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 
they are again entangled therein and overcome, 
the latter end is worse with them than the begin- 
ing. For it had been better for them not to have 
known the way of righteousness, than, after they 
have known it, to turn from the holy command- 
ment delivered unto them." 

It is unquestionably true, as John says in his 
First Epistle, that there is ^^a sin unto death," for 
the pardon of which we are not authorized to pray. 
But, you will notice, he is careful to close with the 
assurance that ''whosoever is born of God sinneth 



HOW RESTORED. 63 

not; but he that is begotten of God,keepeth him- 
self, and that wicked one touchetli him not.'' 
(i Jn. 5:18.) Yet in the i6th verse he seems to 
imply that it is possible for a ^'brother'' to com- 
mit the sin that is unto death. . ^'If any man see 
his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he 
shall ask and he shall give him life for them that 
sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death ; I 
do not say that he shall pray for it. ' ' 

Without attempting, in this connection, a com- 
plete and exhaustive exposition of these scriptures, 
it is enough to observe (i) that if these words be 
taken literally in their most unfavorable sense, they 
apply only to those who have gone to the very ex- 
treme of sinfulness ; (2) that they refer to those who 
have distinctively rejected the Gospel of Christ ; (3) 
that those who have brought upon themselves this 
fearful penalty will have no desire to return to God, 
no sense of sin or loss. The Bible often addresses 
the christian as if it were possible for him to be 
lost, although Christ assures us that ' ^ no one shall 
be able to pluck them out of my hand.'' This sort 
of appeal is often the basis of moral incentive. Paul 
speaks of himself as being actuated by this sort of 
feeling in the words '4est I myself should be a 
castaway," although he knew he would never go 
to that extreme. 



64 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

All examination of the plan of salvation will show 
that if the christian is lost the responsibility would 
rest upon Christ himself No man can keep him- 
self from falling ; it is God that keeps all of us. 
Paul says, '^I am persuaded that he is able to keep 
that which I have committed unto him against that 
day." (i Tim. 1:12.) ^'The Lord is thy keeper; 
the lyord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The 
sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by 
night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; 
he shall preserve thy soul." (Ps. 121:4-7.) My 
security lies in the fact, not that I have got hold^ 
of Christ, but that he has got hold of }ne. If salva- 
tion depended on my strength to hold on I would 
surely fall ; but if it depends on Christ's power to 
keep it is impossible that I should fall so as to be 
lost. 

As to the passages in Hebrews, the writer is care- 
ful to say, ^'But, beloved, we are persuaded better 
things of you, and things that accompany salvation, 
though we thus speak." (Heb. 6:9.) The Hebrew 
christians were disposed to fall into a sort of legal- 
ism that subverted the Gospel. The writer seeks 
to lead them into the way of faith- They were 
more easily persuaded by the ''terrors of the law;" 
hence he put the case in its strongest and most im- 
pressive light. 



HOW RESTORED 65 • 

But the prayer of the Psalmist, on which our line 
of thought is based, implies distinctly and unques- 
tionably that it is possible to have the joy of salva- 
tion restored after it has been lost. What more do 
we need? Is this not assurance enough? It is not 
at all likely that any one to whom the passages 
quoted above might have some possible reference ' 
will take the trouble to read this book or to make 
inquiry about the extent and heinousness of his sin. 
If the reader has any interest in perusing what we 
have to say on this subject he may safely regard 
himself as still within the bounds of hope and 
recovery. As elsewhere stated, our subject is not 
the loss of the soicl and its restoration to salvation, 
but the loss of the joy of salvation and the restora- 
tion of that joy ; two totally different questions. 

So far as the method of recovery is concerned, 
one of the first essentials we would mention is 

REPENTANCE OF KNOWN SIN. 

If we are conscious of having fallen into sin, of 
course there can be no restoration of joy until it is 
taken out of the way ; and the only way in which 
to get rid of sin is to confess it in the spirit of peni- 
tence. Forgiveness must be secured, and it is only 
on the basis of humble acknowledgment that God 



66 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

will grant pardon. The Psalmist says, ' ^ I acknowl- 
edged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I 
not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions 
unto the Lord, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of 
my sin." (Ps. 32:5.) '^If we confess our sins, He 
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (i Jn. 1:9,) 
It is impossible, in the very nature of things, for us 
to be joyful, in the spiritual sense, while clinging 
to some darling sin, or when we are unwilling to 
renounce it. It is not an arbitrary enjoinment on 
God's part. It could not be otherwise. 

For a time a sin may not be seen or recognized ; 
but as soon as discovered it becomes a source of 
discomfort and annoyance, and must be got rid of. 
The Spirit will not leave us long under its dominion 
without revealing the fact to the soul. Our prayer 
should be, ''Cleanse Thou me from secret faults." 
(Ps. 19:12.) 

Following this, or in conjuction with it, there 
should be 

BELIEF IN THE PARDONING LOVE OF GOD, 

This faith must not be arbitrary or willful, but 
based intelligently on the divine assurance. When 
God says that He will forgive our transgressions He 



HOW RESTORED. 67 

means it, and it is sinful to doubt or question his 
willingness. When truly penitent He always be- 
stows the blessing of forgiveness. It is ours to 
receive it, and this must be by faith, Tliere will 
be no special sign from heaven indicating that we 
are forgiven. The joy will return only as we believe 
the promise. 

There will be more or less of hesitancy in doing 
this. It is of the nature of sin to keep us in a state 
of unbelief. We must endeavor, with God's help, 
to rise above this disposition. We should bear in 
mind that it is our duty to believe God, even in 
face of our feelings and inclinations. Satan's strong- 
hold is in the feelings. These are not reliable as 
guides. When we can place our finger on a defi- 
nite promise of pardon, if we have fulfilled the con- 
ditions named, it ought not to be difficult to believe. 

God delights to pardon and to restore to us our 
lost joy. He is ever waiting to be gracious. Let us 
not hesitate to accept his offered grace and mercy. 
'^ As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth 
them that fear him.'' (Ps. 103:13.) Whenoursin 
is forgiven we ought surely to be joyful. ''''Blessed 
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is 
covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord 
imputeth not iniquity, and in w^hose spirit there is 
no guile." (Ps. 32:1, 2,) ''There is forgiveness 



68 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

with Thee that Thou may est be feared." (Ps. 
130:4.) 

DESIRE FOR ITS RESTORATION. 

Of course this is indispensable. God does not 
bestow his blessings on those who do not want them, 
who do not long for them with unusual ardency. 
^'Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall 
search for me with all your heart. " (Jer. 29:13.) 
It is, however, natural to desire the renewal of the 
joy of salvation after we have once tasted it. The 
soul can hardly forget the raptures with which it 
was thrilled when it received the Savior. ^^ As the 
hart paneth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my 
soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for 
God, for the living God ; when shall I come and 
appear before God? My tears have been my meat 
day and night, while they continually say unto me, 
Where is thy God ? When I remember these things 
I pour out my soul in me ; for I had gone with the 
multitude ; I went with them to the house of God, 
with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude 
that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O 
my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? 
Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for 
the help of his countenance. ^ ^ ^ ^ i ^[n 
say unto God, my rock. Why hast Thou forgotten 



HOW RESTORED. 69 

me ? Why go I mourning because of the oppression 
of the enemy ? As with a sword in my bones, mine 
enemies reproach me ; while they say daily unto 
me, Where is thy God?" (Ps. 42:1-10.) 

It is thus that we feel when the Lord hides his 
face from us. We long for the light of his coun- 
tenance to rest upon us. We cannot be satisfied 
without the consciousness of his favor. All that 
will keep us from expressing this desire is the feel- 
ing that we are unworthy of it, and that we may 
again lose it, and thus be worse off than ever. The 
very fact that we have once lost the blessing will, 
indeed, make us liable to lose it again. The one 
who has once fallen under the power of some par- 
ticular temptation is likely to yield at the second 
assault, and more so at the third. Some people 
stumble and stutter when they come to certain words 
through very fear of this result. So we are afraid 
lest our course will be the same as before, and this 
very fear helps to bring about this result. But we 
must seek the restoration of the blessing in order 
to its possession. We must desire it intensely or 
it will not be given. 

ONLY GOB CAN BESTOW IT. 

We must drop the notion that we can restore this 
joy for ourselves. This we can not do. Only God 



70 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

can restore it. We must depend upon h-ini for the 
renewal of the blessing. ""^ Restore unto 7ne the joy 
of Thy salvation.'' As the salvation is from God, 
so the joy of it must come from him. It can come 
only in answer to earnest prayer. The process is 
therefore one of faith. It rests upon the fulfillment 
of the promise. This means that it will be accord- 
ing- to his good pleasure. But it is always his good 
pleasure to bless us when we are in a state of read- 
iness to receive the blessing. Having, to the best 
of our knowledge and ability, done what is required 
of us, we must wait patiently the dawning of the 
light upon the soul, the flow of joy and peace into 
the heart. We must not be over-anxious or impa- 
tient or fretful, even if the blessing is long in return- 
ing. Ivike the Psalmist, we should say, ''In the 
shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until 
these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God 
most high, imto God that performeth all things for 
me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from 
the reproach of him that would swallow me up. 
God shall send forth his mercy and his truth." 
(Ps. 57:1-3.) 



HOW RESTORED. 71 

SOME PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS. 

It is far from being a question of good works ; 
nevertheless, there is a work of preparation need- 
ful. Let this preliminary work be thorough. Let 
nothing be hid from God. Of course nothing can 
be hid from him ; but w^e sometimes persuade our- 
selves that we can avoid revealing the whole of our 
offense. This is a serious mistake on our part. 
Our prayer should be, '' Search me, O God, and 
know my heart ; try me and know my thoughts ; 
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead 
me in the way everlasting." (Ps. 139:23, 24.) At 
the same time, we need to bear in mind the words 
with which the Psalmist introduces this Psalm : ''O 
Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou 
knowest ni}' downsitting and mine uprising; Thou 
understandest my thought afar off. Thou com- 
passest my path and my lying down, and art ac- 
quainted with all my ways. For there is not a 
word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest 
it altogether." (v. 1-4.) We only perplex our- 
selves and delay the blessing by trying to conceal 
any part of our perfidy or unfaithfulness. Make a 
clean breast of it. Let not a shred of sin remain 
unacknowledged before the Father. That is the 



72 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

utmost we can do, but it is the least that can be 
expected. 

REVIEW THE PLAN OF SALVATION. 

Clear views of truth are desirable at all times, 
but especially in seeking a restoration of the joy of 
salvation. Perhaps we have missed the way sim- 
ply because our knowledge was deficient. We need 
to apprehend, for instance, that Christ is our all in 
all ; that he is ^^made unto us wisdom, righteous- 
ness, sanctification and redemption. " (i Cor. i :30.) 
We need to apprehend that only the ''blood of 
Jesus Christ ' ' can cleanse us from all sin ; that 
''the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us 
all," and ''with his stripes we are healed;" (Isa. 
53*5) 6) that he is "able to save unto the uttermost 
all that come unto God by him ;" that we are de- 
pendent on the Holy Spirit for every impulse of 
joy ; that it is only through the medium of the 
truth that we can get back to a right position, and 
be made truly free ; that "him that cometh unto 
him he will in nowise cast out ;" that it is Christ's 
work, through the Spirit, to make us holy ; that 
the life of the christian is wholly one of faith ; that 
the design of the Father is that through the "ex- 
ceeding great and precious promises," we should 



HOW RESTORED. 73 

''become partakers of the divine nature." (2 
Pet, 1:4,) 

These and other essential truths and facts lying 
at the very foundation of the work of salvation need 
to be kept constantly before the mind. We need 
to measure them in all their fulness and signifi- 
cance, and possess our souls with the thought of 
them. With them will come the illumination of 
the Spirit and the consequent enlightenment of our 
souls which will result in our deliverance from the 
chains that have bound us, 

OBEDIENCE TO THE SPIRIT. 

''If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is 
none of his." (Rom. 8:9.) "For as many as are 
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ' ' 
(Rom. 8:14.) "If we live in the Spirit, let us 
walk in the Spirit." (Gal, 3:25.) It is wonderful 
how much the Bible has to say about the Spirit's 
guidance. The Apostles were constantly under his 
direction, not merely in the sense that they were 
inspired, but in the sense that they were directed 
in conduct. All christians are presumed to believe 
in this doctrine ; but not all realize this blessing in 
their daily lives. 

In returning to God we need to follow the lead- 



74 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

ings of the Spirit most implicitly. He will direct 
if we will only follow. Step by step he will open 
the way before us as we seek to escape from the 
dark cavern in which we have been wandering, and 
will bring us into the full light of day, if we regard 
his behests. 

Some christians are afraid of this doctrine, 
although it is so plainly taught in the scriptures. 
They are fearful of being led into fanaticism. 
There are dangers in this direction unquestionably, 
but not if we take the Bible as our guide and teach- 
er. The one safeguard lies in understanding that 
the Spirit works in harmony with the revealed word. 
He never leads us to go contrary to that word. But 
he does not confine himself to the explicit direc- 
tions of the word. There are circumstances when 
he must work independent of the word, if at all. 
When the Spirit directed Philip to go to the eunoch 
in his chariot, it was independent of any specific 
command of the word. So of others who, in Apos- 
tolic times, were led of the Spirit. 

These inward monitions of the Spirit may be 
distinctly perceived and understood if we are walk- 
ing with God in the spirit of obedience. Certainly 
in a matter so important as that under considera- 
tion we should be sure of the Spirit's guidance. 
This will assuredly be given in answer to believing 



HOW RESTORED. 75 

prayer. Following his directions implicitly we 
must find the right way of return to the possession 
of our lost joy. 

ENTIRE CONSECRATION, 

This is implied in what precedes. What is con- 
secration but the spirit of obedience applied to 
everv minutest detail of life? It is lavino: self and 
all we have on the altar to be used of God as he 
sees best to use us and our possessions. This is 
involved in the '' willing spirit" mentioned in the 
Psalmist's words, ^ ' Restore unto me the joy of Thy 
salvation, and uphold me wz^/i a willing spirit^ 

This is the true christian spirit under all circum- 
stances. The restoration of the joy of salvation is 
just restoring this true spirit. Then the result is 
sure to be of a joyful character. It cannot be other- 
wise. When the heart is right in God's sight, 
when the life is governed by his Spirit, when there 
is no conflict between our wills and his, there must 
be a pleasurable feeling in our hearts. This is the 
joy of salvation, or at least one of its constituent 
elements. Or, if we take the rendering ''uphold 
me with 2, free spirit," it means a spirit that is free 
from worldly entanglements, from the element of 
disobedience, from the condemnation of God's law, 



76 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

from the power of unbelief, from the yoke of bond- 
age. This is the freedom wherewith Christ makes 
free ; it is the liberty of the children of God. All 
this is involved in the act of consecration as its 
necessary result or accompaniment. 

This consecration should be made deliberately, 
after the most thoughtful consideration of what it 
means. No thoughtlCvSS impulse will suffice. It 
means that the heart is fully set to do God's will. 
It is not to be of a merely temporary character. It 
is for all time. If it is only partial in character, it 
is not consecration at all. There should be no re- 
serve. It should be made in faith, resting upon 
the divine assurance of aid to carry it out. 

Such a consecration brings the soul very near to 
the Father in the most intimate of relationships. 
It brings heaven into the soul. It eliminates all 
conflicting principles and motives. It cannot but 
produce joy in the heart. But God adds his special 
blessing according to the promise. 

THE COMMITTAL OF FAITH. 

By this we mean the act or acts of obedience that 
naturally follow the act of entire consecration. 
When the Israelites were about to cross the Jordan 
in obedience to God's command, if they had sim- 



HOW RESTORED. 77 

ply expressed a willingness to go forward without 
actually doing so, there would have been no com- 
mittal of faith. The waters did not open before 
them until their feet touched them. To have 
waited would have implied a lack of faith. The 
soul must be committed to God in the act of faith- 
ful obedience. 

This is of the utmost importance in this connec- 
tion. ^'Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow the 
Lord wall do wonders among you." The act of 
dedication is always followed by a to-morrow of 
blessing. Sometimes w^e fancy we are ready when 
we are not. But when fully prepared the blessing 
will not be slow in coming. If we stand the divine 
test, the divine approval is sure to follow. 

The great question is. Are we ready? Is there 
no secret reservation that will prevent the coming 
of the blessing? If it delays we should renew our 
heart-searching to discover and rectify the difficulty. 
We will find that such consecration as we refer to 
can only be made by faith, as well as in faith. It 
is not a question of will power or self-command. 
The will is perverse and treacherous. We cannot 
depend upon it, God will not. It is rather zvill- 
ingness than will that secures the blessing. The 
act of consecration must be an act of love, not a 
mere act of duty. The truest obedience is not that 



78 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

which has regard to command, but that which 
issues from the heart. This committal may seem 
hard to accomplish, but it is the best test of faith, 
and is therefore indispensable. 

** Nothing before, and nothing behind, 
The steps of faith 
Fall on the seeming void, and find 
The rock beneath." 



APPROPRIATING FAITH, 

Appropriating faith attaches a personal meaning 
to the promises. It takes them as belonging to us 
individually, as intended for our benefit, as actually 
conveying to us the blessings of grace and salva- 
tion, I not only believe that God is, and that he is 
the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, but 
that he will reward me when / come to him in faith. 

True faith is always of this character. It receives 
from God. Its prayers are answered. The bless- 
ing comes, and tarries not. We grow into its exer- 
cise. It is a part of the evolution of spiritual char- 
acter. It is the fruit of the Spirit. When we are 
possessed of appropriating faith we will be able to 
say, with the Psalmist, "The Lord is ;;r)/rock, and 
^jV fortress, and my deliverer, jny God, ;;/r strength, 
in whom / will trust." It is specific, in distinc- 



HOW RESTORED. 79 

tion from generic faith. It is the full realization 
that Christ died for me^ that he rose again for my 
justification, that he ever lives to intercede for me^ 
that he is my all in all. Without this kind of faith 
the promises are a dead letter to the soul. True 
faith says, 

"Thou, O Christ, art all I want, 
More than all in Thee I find." 



CHAPTER V. 



|toW the ^oy of §al\)ation may be Sustained. 



w 



f^^^HIS is to some a very perplexing inquiry. 
!^ They are fearful lest the treasure should in 
some mysterious way slip out of their hands. 
They question whether they will be able to keep it 
in their possession. This indicates that their un- 
derstanding of the subject is imperfect. 



IT IS NOT SELF-SUSTAINED. 

While, in an important sense, it depends on our 
attitude as to faith and consecration, it depends 
wholly upon God. Christ gives us the Bread of 
Heaven and the Water of Life> The most that we 
can do is to eat and drink and enjoy the blessing. 
''The Spirit divideth severally to each man as he 
will." (i Cor. 12:11.) The more anxiety we have 
about it the less likely it is to continue. The more 
we blow the live coal, without adding new fuel, 

80 



HOW SUSTAINED IN THE SOUL. 81 

the sooner the fire becomes extinguished. The 
more we turn our gaze inward to contemplate our 
possessions, the sooner we lose sight of the Savior. 
Its continuance need not concern us at all. Does 
the child need constantly to be wondering whether 
his father loves him and will provide for him? 
Does it add any to his happiness to concern him- 
self about these matters? On the contrary it is a 
hindrance, and helps to defeat the realization of his 
desires, for the father would almost resent such lack 
of confidence* We do not need to be in a constant 
worry as to whether the sun will continue to shine. 
That is his function. 

NOT TO BE MADE AN AIM. 

That is the surest way of preventing the soul 
from coming into its possession. That would make 
our lives selfish. The motive is an unworthy one. 
Do we love God simply because it makes us happy? 
Do we follow the Master only because of the loaves 
and the fishes? It is not wrong to find delight in 
the consciousness of the ^avior's love, but if we 
are actuated only by the thought of our individual 
happiness, we will soon lose that sweet pleasure. 
We are to glorify God first, and then we shall enjoy 
Him forever. The joy of salvation is a fruit that 



82 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

grows on the tree of life which it is our privilege 
to pluck and eat, but if we do nothing but stand 
under the tree and pluck the fruit we will soon be 
driven from the garden. We may admire the flow- 
ers that grow in the Father's paradise, but our time 
is not to be spent in plucking them and enjoying 
its beautiful walks. 

There is a sort of spiritual dissipation that defeats 
itself There is such a thing as making too much 
of our joys and comforts. If they keep us from 
service, from useful employment in God's vineyard, 
God, in his love for us, will see that we are de- 
prived of them. It would be pleasant always to 
dwell with christian people, and never to have any- 
thing to do with unbelievers ; to dwell in tents on 
the mount of transfiguration ; but a part of our 
work in the world is to snatch men as brands from 
the burning. We have duties to perform. We are 
to do the Master's will and build up his kingdom. 
The less we think about happiness, the greater it 
is likely to be. 

A STATE OF PASSIVITY. 

The soul must lie passive in the hands of its 
Savior. Perhaps the word receptivity would con- 
vey our meaning more clearly, The mind is to be 



HOW StJSq[:AINED IN THE SOUL. 83 

kept in the attitude of willingness to receive the 
blessing and to use it to God's glory. So far as the 
divine operation is concerned, it is to be like clay 
in the hands of the potter. We are to be fashioned 
according to the divine will. The Lord sits over 
us as a refiner of silver, waiting only to see his own 
image reflected in us. Whatever is necessary in 
order to the accomplishment of this end we are 
cheerfully to submit to. We are not to question 
the wisdom of the process. We are to have no will 
of our own about it, except to coincide with the 
diving will. All opposition or antagonism is to be 
completely subdued. 

This is no easy task to accomplish, as we will 
discover on making the effort. It requires a degree 
of spiritual courage and faithfulness that is not com- 
mon. Yet, if we really desire the blessing and de- 
light in doing God's will, we will not find it hard. 
If we really have confidence in the leadings of the 
Spirit, it will be easy. 

CO-OPERATION WITH GOD. 

All true spiritual living is co-operation with God, 
Without this no genuine results can follow. The 
highest and best results are secured only when we 
work perfectly in harmony with God. The main 



84< THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

element is God. Our agency is entirely subordi- 
nate and secondary. This spirit of co-operation 
makes us partners with the Father. It brings us 
into intimate relations with the Holy Spirit. It 
lifts us into real sonship. ''Work out your own 
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God 
that worketh in you, both to will and to do accord- 
ing to his good pleasure.'' (Phil, 2:12.) Ours is the 
position of empty vessels waiting to be filled, inter- 
posing no obstacle to the gracious work, but help- 
ing it on as far as m us lies. God is the fountain. 
It is ours to keep the channels clear so that the 
water of life may flow unhindered into our souls. 
We must do the drinking. This is the extent of 
our responsibility in the matter. That water will 
do its own work in quenching thirst and reviving 
our spiritual natures, if we do not prevent it. 

This spirit of co-operation should extend to other 
interests outside ourselves. We must not forever 
be occupied with our own welfare and happiness. 
We have a work to do in the world. It is God's 
work. But it is most emphatically ours. Unless 
we do it, it will be left undone. 

CONSTANCY IN PRAYER. 

We are commanded to pray without ceasing. 
This is not an arbitrary requirement. There is 



HOW SUSTAINED IN THE SOUL, 85 

deep philosophy in it. Constancy of prayer keeps 
the mind constantly on God . This is what is needed. 
'^Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind 
is stayed on Thee." (Isa, 26:3.) The fire on 
the altar is never to be allowed to become extin- 
guished. There must be uninterrupted commu- 
nion with God, if there is to be uninterrupted joy. 
If we really love the Savior the soul will want to 
preserve its fellowship with him. Not only should 
we pray in the early morning, as we begin the 
duties of the day ; not only at the noon hour, when 
w^e are in the midst of the day's occupations; not 
only at night, when the day's work is done ; but at 
all hours, between times. We should live in an 
atmosphere of prayer. Prayer is our vital breath. 
It should come to us as natural and as easy as to 
breathe. 

Sometimes there is a disposition to omit the stated 
observance of this great privilege. This cannot be 
done without manifest injury to the soul. Some- 
times other occupations seem to demand the whole 
of our attention, so that we cannot be engaged in 
prayer so much as we would really like. The old 
proverb is true, ^^ Prayer and provender hinder no 
man." The more we have to do, the more hours 
should be spent in meditation and supplication. By 
observing this rule, we will really accomplish more 



86 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

than if the duty were omitted. We can learn to 
pray in the midst of other employments. We can 
live in the spirit of prayer. This is what pleases 
the Savior. It is not the formal duty punctually 
performed that receives his commendation, so much 
as the fact that the soul delights in the occupation. 

ABIDING IN CHRIST. 

' ' Abide in me, and I in you . As the branch 
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the 
vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I 
am the vine, ye are the branches* He that abideth 
in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much 
fruit; for without me ye can do nothings '' (Jn. 
15:4, 5.) The chapter from which these words are 
taken is full of references to this important point. 
Paul makes this one of the special petitions in his 
celebrated prayer, (Eph. 3:17.) ^'That Christ may 
dwell in your hearts by faith. " ' ^ He is your life. ' ' 
'^ Your life is hid with Christ in God.'' (Col. 3:3.) 
Christ is the Bread of lyife. (Jn. 6:33.) ''I am 
crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not 
I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I 
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son 
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ' ' 
(Gal. 2:20.) 



HOW SUSTAINED IN THE SOUL. 87 

It is marvelous that the Savior deigns to dwell 
within us. How we ought to cherish his presence, 
and make the most of this unspeakable blessing! 
To realize this one fact in all its fulness would fill 
us with rejoicing. It is because we do not realize 
it that we ever become dejected and unhappy. He 
is a living power in the soul just in proportion as 
we enter into the possession of this thought. It is 
a thought which can only be grasped by faith. 

FEEDING ON THE WORD, 

Jeremiah says, ''Thy words were found, and I 
did eat them J' (Jer. 15:16.) The soul is nour- 
ished by the truth. Paul said to Timothy, ''Give 
attention to doctrine." (i Tim. 4:13.) Neglect 
of the written word will show itself in languishing 
faith and decreasing energy in service. In some 
hidden way our strength is renewed as we peruse 
the sacred page in faith. It is the conveyer of 
blessing. We need its milk and its strong meat to 
make us spiritually robust. In the Bible the soul 
finds its best pasturage. It provides us with the 
manna from heaven. 

This is especially true of Christ as the Word in 
an embodied form, The written word finds its 
complement in the personal Word, The soul 



88 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

should not be deprived of its daily portion, any 
more than we would think of robbing the body of 
its daily meals. 

STEADINESS OF PURPOSE. 

In order to the maintenance of the soul's equa- 
nimity there must be an inflexible purpose to be 
true to God and His word. This attitude of mind 
is not antagonistic to the idea of passivity previous- 
ly mentioned. Of all things we should avoid a 
vacillating state of mind. In the true christian life 
there is stability, robustness, steadfastness. Religion 
is not a mere set of emotions. It is based on sure 
principles. To be a true christian one needs to be 
possessed of the highest manhood or womanhood. 
This necessitates earnestness of purpose and reso- 
lution. There is no other way of securing conti- 
nuity of feeling. Without this we will be creatures 
of impulse, tossed about by every passing wind. 
The mind needs to be held to its purpose as a ship 
is held to the wind. 

To some this is a difficult accomplishment. They 
are not naturally possessed of strong wills. Tenac- 
ity of purpose is to them an unknown quantity. 
But even if we are not possessed of strong wills, if 
the heart's love is true, this will secure the same end. 



HOW SUSTAINED IN THE SOUL. 89 

It is not a mere question of will. Some of the 
most steadfast in the christian life are naturally 
timid and undemonstrative. Indeed, it is by no 
means certain that the possession of a strong wlil 
is not one of the greatest hindrances to the enjoy- 
ment of God's presence and the blessing referred to. 
Willful persons find it exceeding difficult to abide 
in Christ and to preserve peacefulness of soul. But 
every christian needs to be able to say, with the 
Psalmist, ''My heart is fixed.'' 

PRESERVING INWARD RECOLLECTION. 

By this we mean the habit of spiritual equanim- 
ity, that composure of mind and inward conscious- 
ness of the divine presence which manifests itself 
in the possession of the peace of God. In this state 
of recollection we realize the immediate help of the 
divine Spirit in giving us strength for each emer- 
gency of life as it arises. It grows out of the habit 
of making God our constant counsellor in the dis- 
charge of duty, in the direction cf our affairs, and 
in all the experiences of the soul. It stands par- 
allel with mental discipline and self-control in the 
mentally great. It is, however, purely a spiritual 
attainment. 



90 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

Only the more advanced followers of Christ know 
this blessed experience, Christ exhibited it in its 
highest perfection. How calm and self-complacent 
in the midst of strife and confusion ! We never 
find him^takenloflf his guard. He always spoke 
with a dignity and composure that commanded the 
confidence and admiration of those who beheld him. 
It was because of this inward recollection that the 
officers sent to arrest him said, ^' Never man spake 
like this man.'' It awed men into submission. 

Of course in us it is but imperfectly exhibited at 
its best. But it is undoubtedly our privilege to 
enter measurably into the possession of this trait 
of christian character. It will make us superior 
to the ills and annoyances of life. It will clothe 
us with an authority in the utterance of divine 
truth which we could not otherwise have. We 
need it in order to the avoidance of mistake in the 
prosecution of our work. It is, in some sense, the 
same as the inward direction of the Spirit ; only it 
refers to the results of such direction as manifest in 
us. It is a higher form or manifestation of what 
we commonly denominate decision of character. 
It is born of devotion. It is the gift of the Spirit. 
Its chief attraction and value lie in the fact that it 
frees the soul from all turbulence and distraction 
and enables us to do our best. 



HOW SUSTAINED IX THE SOUL. 91 



LIVING BY THE MOMENT. 

This furnishes us with the key to the possession 
of inward recollection. The soul, moment by mo- 
ment, preserves its vital contact with the Savior. 
The wires are kept unbroken, so that the current 
of life flows unhindered through the soul. The 
heart is kept insulated from the world, so that the 
vital fluid is not lost. 

This is the true way of living. We are no more 
than what we are at this present moment. We are 
not so likely to depend on a past experience of 
grace and blessing. We draw our joy and comfort 
from present union with Christ and from actual 
reception of his favor in daily experience. The 
plant, draws its life from the soil without interrup- 
tion. If there were any cessation of the process of 
capillary attraction its death would be certain. So 
with the soul. This is true as a matter of fact, 
whether we realize it or not. But it is conscious, 
rather than unconscious, union with Christ. Life 
is exalted into sublimity when it is thus directed. 
It has a significance which it does not have with- 
out it. Heaven becomes a reality to the soul. 

This habit fosters and necessitates faith. Faith 
as an energizing power has no value except for the 



92 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

present moment. God never bestows grace for to- 
morrow. ^^As thy day thy strength shall be/' 
^^Give us this day our daily bread." God does not 
lay up great storehouses of provision for the soul, 
from which we can draw without daily prayer. As 
He does not give dying grace until the hour of 
death, so He does not bestow spiritual help except 
as we need it. His whole kingdom is built on this 
principle of living by the moment. As Fenelon 
says, ^' Happy is the man who retains nothing in 
his mind but what is necessary, and who only 
thinks of each thing just when it is the time to 
think of it ; so that it is rather God who excites the 
perception and idea of it by an impression and dis- 
covery of His will which we must perform, than 
the mind's being at the trouble to forecast and find 
it/' It is living and walking by faith. 



CHAPTER VL 

Por (/9l7at purpose is tl?© ^o^ of §al\)afion @iOGr\? 

fIvL blessings divinely bestowed have a prac- 
tical design in view. There is some useful 
— • end to be subserved by the joy of salvation. 
What is that end? This inquiry may well com- 
mand our attention in this closing chapter. 

TO GIVE A FORETASTE OF HEAVEN, 

Salvation is deliverance from sin. Sin has 
wrought terrible disaster in the world. It has 
ruined many hearts and homes. The evil princi- 
ple set in operation by our first parents has worked 
like leaven in the hearts of men and in society. It 
has dashed onward like a mad wave of seething 
corruption, threatening to involve the whole race 
in disaster. For centuries divine power and wis- 
dom have been occupied with the great task of its 
eradication and the deliverance of men from its 

93 



94 ' THE JOY OF SALVATION 

dominion. Offers of pardon and promises of grace 
were despised by the millions of the human race. 
But a few were persuaded to accept these offers. 
Their number has greatly increased as the years 
have rolled on. Our heavenly Father, in the plen- 
itude of His grace, has multiplied blessing upon 
blessing to those who were willing to be saved. H 
has granted to them blessed foretastes of the joys in 
store for them. As we grow in capacity for receiv- 
ing His blessings He has bestowed them upon us. 
From them that love Him He withholds no good 
thing. He lavishes upon them the jiches of His 
love and mercy. 

These gracious experiences are only presages of 
what is to be, that, tasting them, they might not 
be drawn back to the beggarly elements of the 
world and be destroyed. But they are of such a 
character that they do really afford us a foretaste 
of the joys of the heavenly world. It is because of 
the Father's love for us that they are given. And 
so rich are they to those who are faithful that their 
life in this world is made almost a heaven because 
of them. 

AN INCENTIVE TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS, 

We reason that if they are so rich and full here, 
what will the future world bring to our possession 



FOR WHAT PURPOSE GIVEN. 95 

when we stand in the presence of the King and 
behold His glory? We find that as we make pro- 
gress in the life divine we are made happier, and 
are the recipients of multiplied proofs of the divine 
favor. This is an incentive to higher attainments 
and more earnest endeavor. As we increase in 
knowledge of the truth and in experience of its 
power, w^e hunger and thirst after more grace and 
blessing. As we realize the Father's willingness 
to bless, and the fact that his resources are infinite, 
we are led to come with larger requests and expec- 
tations. 

This is God's design. He says that if we ask we 
shall receive, that if we seek we shall find, that if 
we knock it will be opened unto us. Giving doth 
not impoverish him, and withholding doth not en- 
rich him. So we come with larger petitions. As 
this promotes our growth the blessings are contin- 
ued to us. This not only inspires us with hope, 
but also with earnest endeavor to make the most of 
our opportunites and advantages. We are actuated 
by the desire to please Him who is so kind in the 
bestowment of his favors. 

Were it not for these blessings of the christian 
life, how many of us would grow weary in well- 
doing ! How many would turn their backs on the 
kingdom ! The simple hope of future reward, while 



96 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

it might be sufficient with many to keep them from 
relaxing in effort, would hardly be sufficient to keep 
the masses of men in the ranks. If there were no 
victories in the terrible combat until we were laid 
low in death, the prospect, however glowing in 
words, would not be very encouraging. Many 
would give up in despair. 

But God gives us victories as we pass along. He 
cheers us by the way lest we should become faint- 
hearted. He fills our souls with the raptures of 
heavenly joy, knowing that they will kindle more 
ardent desires and incite to more earnest effort. 

We hardly realize to what extent we are influ- 
enced by the anticipation of rewards. Christ him- 
self was so influenced. ''Who, for the reward that 
was set before him, endured the cross, despising 
the shame.'' (Heb. 12:2.) The Bible fully recog- 
nizes the wisdom of oflering rewards. All our joys 
in heaven are of this character, albeit they are 
totally undeserved. Hope is a grand incentive, 
especially when, as in the case of the Gospel, there 
is also a present enjoyment of blessing, a foretaste 
of what is to come. 

AS AN ELEMENT OF WORSHIP. 

The place accorded to praise in the services of 
God's house has great significance. We are com- 



FOR WHAT PURPOSE GIVEN. 97 

manded to come into his presence with joy and 
singing, ^'making melody in your heart to the 
Lord." Can one worship in any proper sense with- 
out this element of rejoicing? It is altogether doubt- 
ful Thanksgiving is enjoined upon us in God's 
Word repeatedly. Prayer is always to be accom- 
panied wdth thanksgiving. The command to us is, 
''Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises 
unto our God, and praise is comely.'' (Ps. 147:1.) 
And our response should be, ''While I live will I 
praise the Lord ; I will sing praises unto my God 
while I have any being. " (Ps. 146:2.) The Psalms, 
as well as other portions of scripture, are full of ex- 
hortations to praise. It is this element that makes 
our -worship acceptable to the Father. He w^ho 
comes before God simply as a duty may enjoy the 
service after a fashion, but not as the one w^hose 
soul overflows with thanksgiving and praise. 

Too little cf this joy is manifest in our worship. 
The feeling of solemnity and awe is allowed to sup- 
press joyful expression of our love. It would be 
well for some of us if we would break over the bar- 
riers of early prejudice and allow ourselves even to 
shout for joy. It would introduce an element of 
freedom that is too often lacking. 



98 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

AS A PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN. 

* The idea that we are to be wholly occupied, in 
the heavenly world, with praise is doubtless wrong, 
especially if it means that we are to do nothing but 
play upon our harps. But there will doubtless be 
a good deal of music around the throne. The an- 
gels and saints are engaged in singing the songs of 
Moses and the Lamb. We will at least have to 
learn that song. Heaven will be full of joys. We 
had better take some lessons in music before going. 
Praise does much towards giving us that prepara- 
tion tor heaven which we need. 

We sometimes wonder what gives the Gospel 
such a hold upon the masses of men. Essentially 
it is, of course, the message it contains of salvation; 
but not a little of its success is due to the service 
of song. Without music we could not long hold 
the attention of our hearers. They meet with the 
largest measure of success, other things being equal, 
who have a great deal of singing. Revival servi- 
ces would soon languish without this element of 
inspiration and help. 

We are not only to '4et the peace of God rule 
in our hearts," and to ^4et the word of Christ 
dwell in us richly," but we are to praise God ''in 
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with 



FOR WHAT PURPOSE GIVEN. 99 

grace in our hearts to the Lord.'' (Col. 3:16.) 
One of the results of being filled with the Spirit is 
implied in the words, '^Speaking to yourselves in 
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and 
making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Eph. 
5:9.) God evidently desires to have us become 
accustomed to praise and thanksgiving before we 
enter the heavenly portals. 

TO INCREASE OUR FAITH. 

It has this effect because it is a partial fulfillment 
of the promise of God's word. We are permitted 
not merely to expect the bestowment of blessing 
when we enter upon the unseen life, but to taste 
some of these joys beforehand. The experience of 
them exerts a marvelous influence on our faith. 
We feel certain, from what we know already, that 
there are infinite resources of delight in God's pos- 
session, and that He is willing to grant us the en- 
joyment of them. Faith not only leads to experi- 
ence, but experience enhances faith, - This is nat- 
ural. The more of comfort we have in dear friends, 
tlie greater our faith in them. The more we expe- 
rience of the joy of salvation, the greater our con- 
fidence in the Father and His love. 



100 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

TO ATTRACT THE SINNER'S ATTENTION. 

There is deep significance to be attached to the 
words of the Apostle Paul, (i Cor. 14:24, 25,) ^\But 
if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth 
not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is 
judged of all ; and thus are the secrets of his heart 
made manifest ; and so falling down on his face 
he will worship God, and report that God is in you 
of a truth." This is especially true when the sub- 
ject of our prophesying is the joy of salvation, tes- 
tifying to what the Lord has done for our souls. 
The fact that our souls are full of this joy cannot 
but attract the attention of unbelievers. They will 
naturally seek some explanation of the fact. And 
the conviction will soon steal over them, if we have 
the real joy of salvation in our hearts, that we have 
something that is not only desirable, but which 
they themselves know nothing about. This ex- 
plains the wonderful power of testimony, and why 
the Ivord insists upon it. Religion is always joy- 
ful. If it seems to be destitute of this element, it 
is because we have a wrong conception of its nature 
or an imperfect experience of its influence. 

This makes it all the more obligatory on the fol- 
lowers of Christ to manifest the joy of their souls. 
Kven if we never say a word for Christ (although 



FOR WHAT PURPOSE GIVEN. 101 

that would seem very strange) we can give evidence 
of the possession of an experience that is worth 
seeking. How many might be led to Christ if we 
were faithful in this respect ! 

TO EQUIP FOR WORK. 

This is the supreme object to be accomplished in 
the bestowment of the joy of salvation. The church 
has a great work laid on her hands to do. The 
preparation required for this work is not merely 
intellectual, or physical. It is purely spiritual. 
*' Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation, and 
uphold me with a willing spirit ; then will I teach 
transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be con- 
verted unto Thee." We need the blessing in order 
to our being furnished for our work. ''The joy 
of the Ivord is your strength.'' When we are joy- 
ful it is easy to work, and we accomplish a great 
deal more good. The fact of this joy in our souls 
indicates that God's Spirit is with us and that He 
is preparing us for our work. We would render a 
very poor service if we had no joy in it, if it were 
done from a mere sense of duty. 

The words spoken by us are nothing unless they 
well up from the soul as from an inexhaustible 
fountain. Was not this the Savior's meaning when 
he said to the woman of Samaria, ''The water that 



102 THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

I shall give shall be in you a well of water spring- 
ing up into everlasting life?" It is not mere truth 
that convinces and converts, but the truth as seen 
in loving natures, as uttered by joyful hearts. 
This joy is the 

THE ROOT OF OUR ZEAL. 

It fills us with enthusiasm in the prosecution of our 
work. It explains our love for souls. It sustains 
our spirit of endurance. What is the christian 
without enthusiasm? What is the church without 
zeal? It creates an interest in others that qualifies 
us for teaching them the truths of God's word. 
^ ' Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways. ' ' 

We cannot lay too great emphasis on this fact. 
There is a mysterious philosopy in the influence of 
the joy of salvation on our lives. It is something 
infinitely above ordinary joy. That it has this 
effect is evident from the testimony of the most 
successful workers. It was doubtless designed for 
this purpose. Under the influence of this joy the 
burden is lifted from us, and we count it a privilege 
to do the Savior's will. Under its domination we 
seek after opportunities to make known the grace 
of God in Christ. We love to direct souls to the 
I^amb of God that taketli away the sins of the world. 
This joy is a divine impulse in the soul. 



P\:)R WHAT PURPOSE GIVEN. 103 

This joy works mysteriously. Even in the midst 
of our griefs and sorrows, when the heart seems 
utterly disconsolate, if we listen we will discover 
an undertone of joy that is trying to give itself ex- 
pression in a song of praise. The element of woe 
cannot long overwhelm us when the joy of salva- 
tion exists in the soul. The clouds of gloom are 
soon brushed away. All is sunshine, to the extent 
that we allow this joy to control us. Cares sit 
lightly upon us. It makes us brave and strong. 
It disarms those who would oppose us. It brings 
to our possession the very power of God. It makes 
us children of the King, the real sons of God. It 
puts the crown of life upon our heads. It encircles 
us with a halo of glory* Let us pray for it. Let 
us cherish it in our hearts. Let us use it to exalt 
him who gave himself for us, and whose blood 
cleanseth us from all sin. Let it inspire us to 
nobler zeal and energy in the Master's service, and 
in doing the work of the church in the world. 

THE GRAND RESULT, 

'^And sinners shall be converted unto Thee.'' 
With this overflowing joy in the heart, working 
itself out into deeds of love, our labors are sure not 
to be in vain. Our prayers will be answered. The 
one grand desire of our souls, the conversion of men 



104 THE jOY OF SALVATION. 

to Christ, will be fulfilled. This is the divine 
assurance, as well as the feeling of David's heart. 
The proper conditions being fulfilled, the great 
result is certain. 

What is needed, then, to bring the world to 
Christ? Only this, a church whose members are 
filled with the joy of salvation and who, with a 
willing spirit, undertake the work of instructing 
them and leading them to the Savior. The whole 
responsibility, therefore, rests upon us individually, 
What is our wish? What is our purpose? The 
Spirit waits to lead. Are we ready to follow? Or 
do we still hesitate to take the first step? ''My 
Spirit will not always strive with men," The 
Spirit may be grieved away from the heart. 

MORE JOY. 

''He shall come again with rejoicing, bringing 
his sheaves with him." (Ps. 126:6,) This is joy 
renewed and enriched. There is another kind of 
joy that results from this gathering in of souls, 
" Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the pres- 
ence of the angels of God over one sinner that re- 
penteth," (Luke 15:10,) Thus heaven and earth 
will be filled with rejoicing. And the Savior's 
heart will certainly be made glad by this accession 
of precious souls to the heavenly kingdom, Shall 
we not, then, seek to possess ourselves of this joy? 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART, 



^I^e j+er^s^ of \\ie j^earf. 



Nevertheless I have this against thee that thou hast left thy first 
love. Rev. 2:4. 



^^^HERE are various kinds of heresy in the 
y\ Wf^ world. There is doctrinal or intellectual 
^ heresy, which relates to belief. There is 
the heresy of conduct, which refers to immorality 
of life. But the most dangerous, and that to which 
all other heresies can be traced, is that of the heart. 
The text clearly and explicitly refers to this. ''I 
have this against thee that thoit hast left thy Jirst 
love. ' ' 

These words are addressed to the church at Ephe- 
sus, one of the seven churches of Asia to which let- 
ters were specially directed by the Spirit after our 
Savior's ascension. It was in many particulars a 
remarkable church. It was organized by the Apos- 
tle Paul. For a time Timothy was its Bishop. For 
many years it was honored as the ecclesiastical 
home of the Apostle John. It was for a time con- 

107 



108 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

spicuous for its fidelity and the spirituality of its 
membership. The Spirit expressly notes some of 
its commendable qualities in this letter. '^I know 
thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and 
how thou canst not bear them which are evil ; and 
thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles, 
and are not, and hast found them liars ; and hast 
borne and hast patience ; and for my name's sake 
hast labored, and hast not fainted." (v. 2, 3.) It 
was evidently an active church. It was not at ease 
with reference to the demands of christian work. 
Planted, as it w^as, in the midst of a heathenish 
community, in a city devoted to the worship of 
Diana, it could not be blind to the necessity of 
earnest effort. Clearly its members had tried to be 
equal to the emergency. 

In confirmation of this statement with reference 
to the character of the church we have only to 
appeal to the Epistle directed to it by the Apostle 
Paul. He says, ^'Wherefore, I also, after I heard 
of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all 
the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, mak- 
ing mention of you in my prayers.'' (i-i5> 16.) 
In this epistle are some of the most tender appeals. 
It contains many practical instructions ; but it also 
contains some of the deepest and richest spiritual 
truths to be found in the Bible, This is sufficient 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 109 

to show that its members were in some sense capa- 
ble of appreciating them. And this means that 
they had made considerable progress in the divine 
life. 

'' Xevertheiess'' the Lord had somewhat against 
this church. It had not come up fully to the mark 
in exemplifying divine truth and character. The 
complaint is not that it had desisted from christian 
effort, nor that it did not attend on the services of 
God\s house, nor that its contributions were meagre 
and parsimonious, nor that it was given to worldly 
pleasures, but simply that it had left its first love. 

How many churches of to-day would stand ac- 
quitted if tested in the same w^ay? How many 
would feel perfectly satisfied if they could come up 
to the standard actually maintained by this church 
and recognized in connection with its solemn im- 
peachment? If a church is only active in what is 
called church work, in holding meetings, in doing 
mission work, in maintaining sociables and fairs 
and festivals, in sustaining temperance bands and 
boys' brigades and sewing circles, how apt we are 
to commend it in the highest terms, speaking of it 
as remarkably successful and enterprising and pros- 
perous. Yet it may be a total failure in the Ivord's 
sight. Mere activity is not religion. Ev^erything 
turns on the impelling motive. Is it inspired by 



I 



110 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

love for Clirist? Is there real and heartfelt worship 
ill it all? These are the questions that should be 
propounded with reference to all church activity. 
What we want is the Savior's commendation, This 
we cannot have without love. ^^lyove is the ful- 
filling of the law." Religion is nothing without 
love. No service is acceptable that does not spring 
from the heart 

That word '^nevertheless" carries with it an im- 
portant meaning. It is not to be passed by as un- 
worthy of notice. It may seal our condemnation 
to all eternity. Naaman was a great man, but he 
was a leper. Solomon was the wisest of men, but 
his wives turned away his heart from God. David 
was a man after God's own heart, (5?// he sinned. 
Peter was full of zeal, but he denied his Master 
even with an oath. A. man is a splendid book- 
keeper, but he is dishonest. This Voung lady is 
industrious, ^^^/she is proud and selfish. This man 
gives largely and liberally to the benevolent boards 
of the church, but he has a self-righteous motive 
in it all. This church is active and zealous and 
patient and hates evil, uevertheless it has left its 
first love. This man came to the wedding feast, 
nevertheless he was cast out, because he had not 
on a wedding garment. 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. Ill 

The Lord deals with churches in their collective 
capacity. If they are to be punished it must be in 
this life. It is on the same principle that He deal?, 
with nations. Individuals are not always adequate- 
ly punished in this life for their transgressions. The 
severest penalty of sin is executed in the unseen 
world. Not so with churches. Their rewards and 
punishments all come in this life. In this case the 
threatened penalty was the removing of its candle- 
stick out of its place. 

A candlestick is designed to hold that which 
gives forth light. If it is used as a vase to hold 
flowers, no matter how beautiful and ornamental it 
may appear, it is being perverted to a wrong use. 
If it is most beautifully decorated and burnished 
and kept in its proper place, this will not suffice. 
It must give forth the light of life. If it is not so 
used it will be removed. The church will then 
cease to be a church in any spiritual sense. It 
will only have a name to live. It will exert 
no healthful influence in the community in 
which it is planted. When a church ceases to do 
the Lord's work from right motives, when the 
hearts of its members become cold and indiflFerent, 
when they turn their attention away from the gos- 
pel to other things, when it becomes formal in its 
devotions, no matter how much it may do for the 



112 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

people in the way of intellectual diversion and enter- 
tainment, no matter how much of culture and re- 
finement there may be in its services, it cannot be 
doing the Lord's work, and therefore must meet 
with his disapproval.. In time its candlestick will 
be removed. Its light has become extinguished, 
of what use can it be in a world that is full of spirit- 
ual darkness? 

God certainly takes account of the faithfulness 
of churches. He makes inquiry as to their true 
success. The entries are all made on the balance 
sheet. There is a debit and a credit side to the 
account. They will be suitably rewarded for all 
that is good in them and their work, but they will 
also have to answer for all that is wrong, for their 
failures to come up to what is required, for their 
lack of love for the Savior and his truth, as well as 
for overt transgressions. 

The church is dear to the Lord as the apple of 
his eye. Of her He says, ^ ' Behold I have graven 
thee on the palms of my hand.'' (Isa, 49:16.) 
He cannot be indifferent to her derelictions, espec- 
ially those of the heart. He notices the least spir- 
itual declension. He marks every sign of retro- 
gression. He is deeply concerned for the character 
of every church planted in his name. He will 
deal faithfully with every one of them, even to cut- 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 113 

ting them off when they have gone beyond recovery. 

We are accustomed to saying that '^ corporations 
have no souls.'' But churches seem to be thus 
endowed, in some sense. Precious interests are 
committed to their charge. They are expected to 
be faithful. They are chastened, like individuals, 
when they wander from the right path. An un- 
faithful chnrch is a positive hindrance to the pro- 
gress of Christ's cause. If it is not leading men 
into the kingdom, it is keeping them out. If it is 
not a dispenser of light, it is a communicator of 
darkness. If it is not the exponent of truth and 
virtue and righteousness, it is of falsehood and vice 
and corruption. God will not own a church that 
is destitute of true christian character. 

But a church is made up of individual members. 
The text is therefore designed to have a personal 
application. The worth o<^ a church cannot be 
greater than the aggregate wortli of its members. 
The first love of a church is that of its individual 
adherents. If each one of its communicants main- 
tains a true attitude of heart toward God and His 
work there will be no dereliction. If each individ- 
ual makes a point never to recede from the true 
line of rectitude and spirituality there will be no 
retrocession in the church. Hence our text can be 



114 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

more profitably applied by considering it in its in- 
dividual or personal applications. 

What is meant by the expression ''first love ''? 
Evidently it refers to the first glow of love that fills 
the heart at the time of conversion. How joyful 
we were at that supreme moment in our spiritual 
history when we gave our hearts, in glad consecra- 
tion, to the Savior! when we felt the sweet con- 
sciousness of his presence ! when we were thrilled 
with the assurance of sins forgiven ! when the peace 
of God, which passeth understanding, filled the 
soul ! How eager we were to lead souls to Christ ! 
How easy to speak a word for Jesus ! How delight- 
ful the services of the sanctuary ! With what pleas- 
ure we perused the sacred word ! How we loved 
the Savior ! He was to us the chief among ten 
thousand and the One altogether lovely. These 
are characteristics of every genuine conversion. 
These were the indications of our ''first love." 

Are they still true of us? Or have we fallen 
from this ecstatic state of bliss? Do we still enjoy 
the Savior's presence? Or has the world crept into 
the heart to such an extent that we often forget 
that he is near? Are we still thrilled with his love, 
shed abroad in the heart by the power of the Spirit? 
Or have other loves drawn us away from him? An 
honest answer to these inquiries will reveal whether 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 115 

we have left our first love or not. We need not 
remain long in doubt as to the fact. 

If the husband or wife continues to love, each 
the other, as at the first, there will be no occasion 
for dissatisfaction. It is when one or the other 
grows cold and careless that trouble begins. Sus- 
picions take the place of confidences. Complaints 
take the place of tender expressions. Bitter feel- 
ings crowd out the true spirit of aflfection. Aliena- 
tion follows as the natural result. DisaflFection 
often leads to separation. The maintenance of the 
^^ first love'' is of the utmost importance, in order 
to matrimonial happiness. The analogy between 
this and the soul's love for Christ is complete. 
There is authority for it in the Word of God. Christ 
is the Bridegroom, the church is the bride. 

Now as to the relation that exists between Christ 
and the souls of believers, if there is any interrup- 
tion or defection, it cannot be His fault, it must be 
ours. He never loses interest in us. His love 
never grows cold toward us. It is ours that grows 
cold toward Him. 

Never will the writer forget the words of one of 
the professors in the college in which he received 
his training ; said he, ^^ Every morning bring your 
heart into loving contact with the loving heart of 
Jesus '' If christians were careful to observe this 



116 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

simple rule, there would be no spiritual declension, 
no loss in the early fervency of their love, no expo- 
sure to the dreadful alternative of having our can- 
dlestick removed. 

Evidently the Savior expects that this first love 
shall be unintermittent. We are apt to say it is 
impossible to be always on the top of the Mount ; 
that there must be ups and downs in our experi- 
ence. But are not these ups and downs generally 
the result of our lack of faith and consecration? 
This may explain any diminution in joy or com- 
fort, but it could not excuse any diminution of love. 
The Savior is always lovable. His promises are 
always ours. He is the same yesterday, to-day, 
and forever. His Word never changes. All that 
is needed is the faith to believe it and rest in it. 
'* These things have I spoken unto you that my joy 
might remain in you and that your joy might be 
full." (Jn. 15:11.) 

Yet many christians have occasion to repeat the 
words of the hymn : 

'* Where is the blessedness I knew 

When first I saw the Lord ? 
Where is the soul-refreshing view 

Of Jesus and his word? 

'^ Those peaceful hours I once enjoyed, 
How sweet their memory still! 

But they have left an aching void 
The world can never fill." 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 117 

It would be well for such if they could follow the 
directions of this hymn, contained in the following 
verses : 

"Return, O holy Dove, return, 

Sweet messenger of rest ! 
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn, 

And drove Thee from my breast. 

'* The dearest idol I have known, 

Whatever that idol be, 
Help me to tear it from Tin- throne, 

And worship only Thee. 

"So shall my wa\k be close with God, 

Calm and serene my frame; 
So purer light shall mark the road 

That leads me to the Lamb." 

It is all a question of abiding in Christ. ^'If ye 
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall 
ask what you wilh and it shall be done unto you/' 
(Jn. 15:7.) ''As the branch cannot bear fruit of 
itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, 
except ye abide in me/' (v. 4.) We have no life 
apart from Tiim. In him are all the vital sources 
of strength to the soul. And it is only by faith 
that we can abide in him. 

I hold in my hand a rose. It is beautiful to look 
upon. It seems as fresh and lovely as when it was 
plucked from the vine. But as I look at it closely 
it begins to show marks of decay. The faint lines 
of decadence are alreadv visible. There is enoug-h 



118 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

life in the stem to keep it from absolute death for 
a day or two. If placed in a vase with water in it 
its life may be prolonged several days. But in a 
little while it will wither away, and then it will be 
cast out, to be trodden under foot of men as a worth- 
less thing. All this because it is separated from 
the vine. There is no flow of the life-current to 
its petals from the mother stem. It is sure to die. 

So it is with the christian when he ceases to draw 
life from Christ, if such a thing be possible. The 
continuance of the first love is proof that we are 
still united to the Vine. When that diminishes 
there is some sort of separation from Him. Thus 
this love is a spiritual indicator to the soul. 

Yet just here there is need of discrimination. 
Our love may be just as genuine and just as fervent, 
even if it is not marked by the same thrilling excite- 
ment that was felt at the time of our conversion. 
It was not the love that was excited, but the feel- 
ings that grew out of that love. True* love shows 
itself in obedience and faithfulness, not in mere 
ardency, which may subside with change of cir- 
cumstances. 

The Savior does not want us to be feeding upon 
a past experience. If we decline from our first 
love we will surely be looking back to that first 
experience with longing for its return. But if our 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 119 

love is just as fervent as at first there will be no 
disposition to do so. Really it is the joy and the 
peace that we miss. These can be restored only by 
having our love restored. This is what the Psalm- 
ist means when he prays, ''Renew a right a spirit 
within me." 

There is only one remedy for this state of things. 
That is indicated in the context. ^^ Remember^ 
therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, 
and do the first works," The ^rj^ love can only 
be regained by doing th^Jirst works. Repentance 
is one of these. It must therefore be a sin to depart 
from our first love. This sin can only be forgiven 
on the basis of repentance. But w^e have the dis- 
tinct promise to God's people, "If we confess our 
sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (i Jn. 
1 19. ) God is always willing to receive us back into 
the arms of His love, when we return in penitence. 
He is always willing to give us another chance, 
when we ask it. It is only when the soul utterly 
refuses to return that it is cut off as a dead branch 
from the vine. As Dr. Parker says, "The Lord 
wnll never give up a man until that man literally 
ivrenches himself out of the divine graspy 

i\s to this heresy of the heart, it may be remarked 
in general, 



120 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 



/, That it is insidious and deceptive in its grozvth. 

Sometimes it seems almost impossible to discover 
the reason for it. In our searcliings for the cause 
we are very sure to look in the wrong direction and 
to ascribe to it an imaginary origin. ^ ' The heart is 
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.'' 
All sin is deceitfuk It steals upon the heart, like 
an assassin who would make sure of his deadly deed 
without opposition or even suspicion of eviL For a 
time we are apt to think there is nothing wrong. 
We see no necessity for alarm. We do not dream 
that an enemy is lurking near. We quiet our fears 
and apprehensions. But, almost before we are aware 
of it, the work is accomplished. We are like the 
comsumptive who will not admit that the fatal dis- 
ease has become rooted in his system till the very 
last moment of life. Then, perhaps, it is impossi- 
ble to secure recovery. Well does the Apostle ex- 
hort us to ''take heed lest there be in any of you 
an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the liv- 
ing God,'' ''Let him that thinketh that he stand- 
eth take heed lest he fall." 

2, The process is gradual. 

The result is not accomplished in a day, perhaps 
not in a year. All backsliding is gradual. Step 
by step we recede from the right path. Step by 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 121 

step we lose interest in the truth. Step by step 
we yield to bad habits. Indeed the process is 
usually so slow that it is scarcely observed till it 
has reached its more dangerous stages. At first we 
simply neglect this or that christian duty or privi- 
lege. Then this careless spirit becomes more pro- 
nounced. Conscience is allowed to slumber. Then 
overt transgressions are committed, at first with 
great reluctance, then with ease. By and by we 
awake to discover that the soul has lost its moor- 
ings and is at the mercy of the tide of evih 

J. It IS more or less voluntary. 

If this were not the case we would not be held 
answerable for it as a sin. Sin can make no ad- 
vance except with our consent. We listen to the 
tempter's voice. The eye is allowed to follow after 
his allurements. We consent to forbidden things. 
We cease to be Vv^atchful against evil, We neglect 
to resist it when it approaches the heart. '^ Thoit 
hast left thy first love.'' The warning and the 
threatened penalty imply responsibility for the re- 
sult. There is a sense in which we may say, as 
Paul did (Rom. 7:17), "It is no more I that do it, 
but sin that dwelleth in me." But if there is, as 
in his case, a real hatred for sin, the voluntary ele- 
ment is eliminated. If after we discover that we 



122 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

have wandered we refuse to return, then we con- 
sent to the allowance of sin. God will help us so 
long as we struggle against evil. But if we choose 
to remain in our sins there is no help for us. 

4. Heresy of the heart involves deprivation 0/ 
blessing. 

No christian can be happy while consenting to 
the alienation of his feelings from God. It robs 
the soul of all spiritual comfort. There is no long- 
er any delight in prayer or praise. Communion 
with God becomes distasteful, if not impossible. 
The offender avoids the company of believers as a 
source of annoyance and reproach. He can no 
longer trust in the Father's love or protection. 
The thought that God's eye is upon him only ter- 
rifies his soul. There is ^^a certain fearful look- 
ing for of judgment and fiery indignation.'' The 
sources of supply are cut off from the soul. Re- 
morse takes the place of comfort. Misery takes 
full possession of the heart. The memory of bet- 
ter days and better experiences only kindles anew 
the flames of torture. Oh how sad the condition 
of those who have thus become alienated from 
spiritual things ! 

5. The reason for this lies in the fact that this 
state of heart necessarily separates from Christ, 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 123 

''Without faith it is impossible to please God.'^ 
Too great emphasis cannot be given to the neces- 
sity of union with Christ. The true disciple de- 
lights in fellowship with him. It is painful to him 
to have anything come between Christ and his souh 
It is like beinor shut in from the liorht of dav. He 
is happy only as he is conscious of the Savior's 
smile resting upon him. He mourns the least 
hiding of his face. He cannot rest until he is re- 
stored to His favor. This separation touches every 
part of his spiritual being. It affects his daily life 
and usefulness. Herein we find the explanation of 
the spiritual darkness under which so many suffer. 
All burdens become heavier when Christ withdraws 
his help. 

6. This heresy of the heart is a fatal malady ttn- 
less speedily aired. 

We should watch the very first developments of 
the disease. The flood that broke through the 
levee might have been stayed in the first few min- 
utes after the earth began to give way. The great 
conflagration might have been extinguished if water 
had been poured upon it at the start. If one has 
resisted the very first entrance of evil thoughts and 
desires into his heart he will not need to pass through 
the terrible struggles of him who has for years given 



12i THE HERKSl OF THE HEART. 

welcome to such imaginations, in order to their ex- 
pulsion. Such an one is apt to feel that the strug- 
gle is hopeless. When any disease becomes chronic 
it is difficult, if not impossible, to heal it. 

We should be far more concerned about the heart 
than the head in spiritual matters. There are more 
heretics in the church to-day than many suspect ; 
disciples who have grown cold and careless, who 
have lost interest in Christ's service and worship, 
who have wandered far away from the fold, who 
are in the enemy's camp, who have betrayed their 
Ivord and Master just as truly as Judas did. They 
have a name to live, but are dead. They are 
counted among the followers of the Savior, but 
they are only nominally such. Most of them are 
never called to account. They are not summoned 
to answer any charges of heresy. There is no edict 
of expulsion issued against them. If the church 
would rid herself of these her standing would be 
better in the eyes of a contemptuous world. 

Every pastor and church, every council and pres- 
bytery and conference, has a work to do in this 
direction, or in reclaiming these wanderers, that is 
of the utmost importance. Let it not be slighted. 
A word of warnitig, an earnest en treaty, may be all 
that is needed to bring them back to their former 
allegiance. Pray for them, be faithful to them and 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 125 

to the Master who has commissioned you. He was 
willing to leave the ninety and nine that he might 
find and save the one lost sheep. 

Oh how watchful we need to be of the heart ! 
How easily it is led astray ! How open to the as- 
saults of the tempter! '^Keep thy heart with all 
diligence, for out of it are the issues of life " The 
heart is a fountain of life or of death. From it the 
life blood is carried to every extremity of the phy- 
sical frame. If the blood is impure the whole sys- 
tem is liable to be infected with disease. Many die 
of blood poisoning. But if the blood is pure it guar- 
antees health and strength. 

Yonder spring at the foot of the hill, how prec- 
ious its cooling waters to those who are dependent 
upon it for daily supply ! Many a weary traveler 
has slaked his thirst at its brink. But suppose, 
like the well which Blisha healed, its waters were 
to become bitter and poisonous ! It would then be 
a fountain of death. How carefully men guard 
their wells and springs ! If they were half as 
watchful of their hearts their spiritual security 
would be more sure. _ 

Satan is a cunning strategist. He does not waste 
his time in conquering the outposts, only as this is 
necessary in order to get at the heart. It is the 
citadel itself that he wishes to subdue. Here he 



126 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

brings his heaviest ordnance. Here he does his 
most skillful engineering. He plots and manoeuv- 
ers to find a way of entrance. When once within he 
sows the most deadly seeds. He fills it with im- 
pure imaginations. He pollutes its best affections, 
till it becomes as a cage of unclean birds, a foul and 
loathsome pesthouse. Then it will seal its own 
doom. 

It is said of Robespierre, the French leader, who 
became so infamous and was noted for the horrible 
atrocities he committed during the revolution, that 
in his early manhood he was conspicuous for his 
amiability of spirit. He was loved and respected 
by all who knew him. He even wrote a book on 
the code of criminal jurisprudence, in which he 
expressed regret that it was so sanguinary, and sug- 
gested means for its amelioration. But in some 
way evil got possession of his heart and he became 
cruel and vindictive, a very tyrant. As Spurgeoii 
says, '^ There is enough timber in the heart of t]i3 
best men in the world to light a fire that shall bur:i 
to the lowest hell, unless God should quench tl.3 
sparks as they fall." When Hazael was told b/ 
the prophet that he would slay his master he said, 
^'Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?" 
Yet he did as the prophet said he would. 



THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 127 

Luther said he was more afraid of his heart than 
of the Pope and all his cardinals. How many evil 
influences are striving for its possession ! Pleasure 
makes its joyful appeal. Riches hold out their 
entrancing allurements. The devil wants it. 
Christ wants it. Whose shall it be? Shall we 
give it to the service of sin, or to the service of 
holiness? Shall we guard it as a precious treasure, 
or shall we let it take care of itself? Would it not 
be wise to place it in the keeping of the Savior? 
He will preserve it from all danger. He will fill 
it with thoughts of benevolence and affection. He 
will adorn it as a palace with every ornament that 
is beautiful. He will enrapture it with the joy 
that is unspeakable and the peace that passeth all 
understanding. Then it will not be exposed to the 
danger of this destructive heresy about which we 
have been talking. 

How different the Lord's judgment from that of 
the world ! Men take cognizance of our acts. They 
observe our conduct. Seldom do they scrutinize 
the inner sanctuary of motive, feeling, purpose. 
Christ looks upon the heart. He is in search of 
jewels. He wants nothing that is not born of love. 
And how sad he is when he discovers that we are 
lacking in this supreme quality ! Rest assured that 
the most punctilious observance of outward forms 



128 THE HERESY OF THE HEART. 

can never take the place of heart service. And let 
us ever remember that there is no process of con- 
cealment from divine knowledge. ^^O lyord, Thou 
hast searched me and known me. Thou under- 
standest my thought afar off, and art acquainted 
with all my ways." If we are pure in our desires, 
true in our motives, he will not concern himself 
about our mistakes and failures. While careful to 
avoid the heresy of belief, let us be doubly watch- 
ful against that kind of heresy, which has its origin 
in the heart, and which evidences itself in dimin- 
ishing love. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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